SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Solicitor-General how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants from the Law Officers Departments will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Vera Baird: No Ministers or civil servants from the Law Officers Departments will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Fraud: Prosecutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the co-ordination of arrangements for the prosecution of cases of fraud.

Vera Baird: England and Wales have an established network of specialist anti-fraud prosecutors. The Attorney General and I keep their effectiveness under review. Our most recent assessment, coordinated by the Serious Fraud Office and the National Fraud Authority and involving the Association of Chief Police Officers, City of London Police, Metropolitan Police Service, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Companies Investigation Branch, Office of Fair Trading, Financial Services Authority, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office, the Home Office and the Attorney General's Office, has resulted in further work, being planned to strengthen multi-agency collaboration on the detection, disruption, investigation and prosecution of fraud. Details of this work will be set out in a report on progress against the National Fraud Strategy which will be published shortly.

Prosecutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General what recent progress has been made on national implementation of integrated prosecution teams.

Vera Baird: The Integrated Prosecution Team (IPT) project, which has been introduced across London, will create an integrated process that brings together pre-trial and case-build functions of the police and the CPS. The aim of the project is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of casework handling between the police and the CPS. Teams will be mostly located in police stations. IPT is functional in 16 Boroughs (50 per cent.) across London. A further five boroughs have commenced the IPT implementation process. The remaining eleven Boroughs will co-locate during the period December 2009 to July 2010. The project includes provision for a post implementation review. The outcome from this review will enable the CPS to consider whether this London initiative has wider application across England and Wales.

TRANSPORT

M18: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the reasons were for the closing off of one lane on the southbound carriageway of the M18 motorway on 24 October 2009, north and south of junction six; and what work was undertaken on that carriageway on that date.

Chris Mole: holding answer 24 November 2009
	The closure was to carry out advance works for the M18 J6-J7 north bound carriageway resurfacing scheme. The works comprised the installation of closed circuit television systems and average speed measuring systems which will mitigate the risk to road workers during the main works. The scheme will be completed before Christmas.

M5: Cameras

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the purpose is of fixed cameras on the M5 motorway.

Chris Mole: holding answer 24 November 2009
	 : On the M5 motorway the Highways Agency has three types of fixed camera in use.
	CCTV Cameras allow real-time traffic conditions to be monitored by the Highways Agency's National and Regional Traffic Control Centres, enabling an efficient response to be made to incidents. The cameras also feed traffic information to a variety of information and media services for drivers to plan their journeys.
	Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras link to a system which converts and anonymises number plates to 'tag' codes for each passing vehicle at each camera location. The 'tag' codes are then used to calculate traffic flows and speed between camera locations in order to inform our understanding of network performance.
	Average speed cameras are positioned temporarily at major roadwork sites to improve safety for road users and the workforce on the motorway. The cameras monitor vehicle speed between two points and check the average speed compliance with the speed limit.

Network Rail: Consultants

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much Network Rail has spent on consultants in each year since the company was placed in the public sector.

Chris Mole: Network Rail is a private sector not-for-dividend company limited by guarantee. The Department for Transport does not hold the information requested.
	This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to her question:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.

Ports: Liverpool

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he plans to seek advice from the European Commission on his Department's decision on whether to approve proposals on the relaxation of restrictions on the use of the Liverpool cruise terminal.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is assessing the competition issues associated with the request to relax the restrictions.
	If the conclusion is that there would be no distortion of competition, Government Office for the North West would further examine state aid implications, before seeking advice from the European Commission.

Railways: Finance

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what level of Government subsidy has been available to each train operator in each of the last five years.

Chris Mole: This information is published annually by the Office of Rail Regulation in National Rail Trends. Copies are available in the Library of the House and online at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1863

Road Signs and Markings: Bridges

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what proposals his Department has issued on making metric measurements mandatory on road signs warning of or imposing height restrictions; and what the  (a) status of and  (b) evidential basis for such proposals is;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on the nature of the signage in place at locations where vehicles have struck bridges;
	(3)  what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by his Department on the adequacy of the signage in place at locations where vehicles have struck bridges; and whether any such research has been taken into account in the formulation of proposals to make metric measurements mandatory on road signs warning of or imposing height restrictions.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 23 November 2009
	The Department for Transport is currently consulting on amendments to Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD) which include the mandatory use of both imperial and metric units on road signs warning of or imposing height restrictions. These signs are currently prescribed in TSRGD but the use of dual-unit signing is discretionary.
	The consultation document is on the Department's website at the following address and the consultation closes on 24 December 2009:
	www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/trafficsignsamendmentregs/
	Evidence presented by Network Rail suggests that 10-12 per cent. of bridge strikes involved foreign lorries and this is disproportionately high. Current policy has also been informed by a 2004 TRL research report 'Measures to Reduce the Frequency of Over-Height Vehicles Striking Bridges: Final Report', which covers signing issues. The report is on the Department's website at the following address:
	www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tss/research/educevehiclesstrikingbridges/urestoreducethefrequency4172.pdf
	The consultation proposals are intended to help reduce the risk of bridge strikes by foreign lorry drivers who may misunderstand imperial-only measurements.
	There are no centrally-held records on the nature of traffic signs placed for all locations where vehicles have struck bridges.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport, how many speed cameras there were in Norwich, North constituency on the latest date for which information is available.

Paul Clark: Separate information about cameras operating in Norwich, North is not held. The number of camera sites operating in Norfolk at the end of the National Safety Camera Programme, which ended on 31 March 2007, was 37. Since then, the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local partnerships. The number of cameras currently in place will therefore be a matter for Norfolk county council and the local road safety partnership.

SCOTLAND

Health Care and Housing: Armed Forces

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Defence the provision of healthcare and housing for members of the armed forces based in Scotland who are returning from active service overseas.

Ann McKechin: The principles underlying the provision of healthcare and housing to members of the armed forces returning from operational deployment to Scotland are no different from those for other parts of the UK. I do however have regular discussions with Defence and Scottish Ministers about armed forces personnel in Scotland.

Devolution

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the recommendations of the final report of the Commission on Scottish Devolution; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I have had many discussions with Cabinet colleagues during preparation of Government proposals for future of Scotland within the United Kingdom. I will make a statement shortly.

Digital Economy Bill

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the application of the provisions of the Digital Economy Bill to Scotland.

Ann McKechin: The Secretary of State for Scotland is in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on a variety of issues.

Small Businesses: UK Financial Investments

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on assistance for small businesses in Scotland from banks in which UK Financial Investments is a major shareholder.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with my ministerial colleagues on a range of matters. Both Lloyds and RBS reaffirmed their commitment to lend an additional £39 billion over the 12 months from March 2009.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Jim Murphy: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee, "Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall", the Government agreed to publish on-line, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Jim Murphy: I last travelled by train in the course of my official duties on 3 November 2009.

Departmental Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing official cars for the use of  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the last 12 months.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Gillingham (Paul Clark), on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, column 80WS.

Immigration: Scotland

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary regarding immigration into Scotland.

Ann McKechin: The Secretary of State for Scotland works in partnership with the Home Office, UKBA, the Scottish Government, local authorities and third sector groups across Scotland to ensure that immigration levels are monitored appropriately. The greatest number of those who choose to move to Scotland to live and work, reside in other parts of the UK.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund  (a) was allocated to each local authority in 2008-09 and  (b) has been so allocated in 2009-10; whether his Department keeps a record of the purposes to which such funding is put; and what assessment he has made of the (i) past and (ii) future use of such monies in accordance with the objectives set for the fund.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In total, £3 million from the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) has been allocated to local authorities in each financial year of 2008-09 and 2009-10. The funding was allocated to the 18 local authorities with the highest aggregates production, in proportion to production levels in each of those authorities. A full breakdown is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  £000 
			 Somerset 330 
			 Derbyshire 330 
			 Leicestershire 330 
			 North Yorkshire 308 
			 Staffordshire 210 
			 Cumbria 150 
			 Lancashire 143 
			 Devon 120 
			 Essex 112 
			 Lincolnshire 107 
			 Durham 107 
			 Doncaster 107 
			 Shropshire 107 
			 Cornwall 107 
			 Nottinghamshire 107 
			 Gloucestershire 107 
			 North Somerset 107 
			 South Gloucestershire 107 
		
	
	In addition, £500,000 was allocated in each year to ACRE (Action for Communities in Rural England) to support projects in the remaining local authority areas.
	Funds are provided to local authorities via an area-based grant which gives them freedom over how to spend money locally. There is no requirement for local authorities to report directly to DEFRA, but some, including Derbyshire, do put data about their projects onto DEFRA's ALSF database. Reports reviewing ALSF, including local authority funding, were undertaken in 2003 and 2006 and a further review is planned for early 2010.

Dogs: Electric Shock Equipment

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the research project commissioned by his Department on the effects of electronic training aids on the welfare of dogs to be completed; how much the research has cost; when he expects to announce his decision on the regulation of the use of electronic shock collars; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The research project on electronic training aids for dogs is due to be completed at the end of February 2010. The cost of the research project will be £469,000. We will not be able to announce any decision on the future use of such devices until the results of the research have been peer-reviewed, and we have had the time to fully consider the results.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many genetically modified food trials the Government has licensed  (a) in each region and  (b) for each species in each of the last five years; how much his Department has spent on genetically-modified food trials in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In the last five years DEFRA has issued three consents for GM crop trials as follows:
	
		
			  Consent ref.  Applicant  Crop  Date of consent  Release site 
			 06/R42/01 BASF Plant Science GmbH Potato 1 December 2006 Girton, Cambs. 
			 07/R42/01 BASF Plant Science GmbH Potato 14 May 2007 Trial did not proceed-no material grown 
			 07/R31/01 University of Leeds Potato 9 May 2008 Bramham, Leeds 
		
	
	The trials by Leeds university formed part of a wider research project on the control of potato cyst nematodes, funded mainly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and with a contribution from DEFRA under a Government Partnership Award programme. DEFRA's contribution to the overall project costs was £41,000 in 2005 and £18,000 in 2009. Specific cost figures just for the field trial component of the project are not readily available. The BASF trials were entirely funded by the company.

Horses: Animal Welfare

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the compatibility of the horse-riding activities which form part of the Appleby Horse Fair with the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is DEFRA's understanding that the RSPCA are present at the Appleby Horse Fair and work closely with participants to encourage adherence to good standards of horse welfare.
	If anyone has any evidence of unnecessary suffering or if animal welfare is being compromised, then they can either report it to the appropriate authorities or take forward a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Nature Conservation: Trade

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that police are trained to enforce EC regulations 338/97 and 865/2006 on the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in respect of the requirement for Article 10 certificates, with particular reference to endangered primates.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The police service is primarily responsible for training its officers in those areas where it has enforcement responsibility.
	In addition, members of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) provide assistance and support in this specialist area of enforcement, including training opportunities. Members of PAW include the UK Border Agency and the UK's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Scientific Authorities.
	Animal Health (an Executive agency of DEFRA) also provides advice and information on CITES to police officers on request.

Pets: Retail Trade

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities provide evidence to his Department on the enforcement of the Pet Animals Act 1951 Model Standards for Pet Shop Licence Conditions; and what mechanisms his Department uses to verify compliance with those conditions by  (a) local authorities and  (b) pet shop owners.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Local authorities are required to enforce the Pet Animals Act 1951 (as amended, 1983). However, local authorities are not bound to use the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health's Model Standards as guidance. If anyone considers that a particular authority is not enforcing the 1951 Act or is not applying appropriate standards they can report it to the local government ombudsman.

Sewers: Private Sector

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to enable private sewers to be transferred to water and sewerage undertakers; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: On 15 December 2008 the Secretary of State announced the Government's decision to transfer all private sewers and lateral drains linked to the public sewerage system from 2011. Since that announcement officials have been working to prepare proposals to prevent the proliferation of new private sewers as a precursor to the transfer of the existing stock. The proposals are contained in the Flood and Water Management Bill, which was presented to Parliament on 19 November.
	The Bill's provisions will ensure that, in future, all new sewers and lateral drains connecting to the public sewerage system will be required to be built to a mandatory standard and will be automatically adopted by water and sewerage companies as public sewers.
	Officials have also been developing detailed proposals for regulations to implement the transfer of existing private sewers and lateral drains that will be the subject of consultation this winter, prior to the regulations themselves being presented to Parliament for approval.

Wildlife: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities applied to his Department for funding to support local wildlife facilities in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 17 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1394W, by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock), to the same question. We do not directly fund, or keep a national register of, small community-led projects tackling the local environment, important though these are. My hon. Friend is welcome to write to me with a more specific request and I will respond to him.

Wildlife: Licensing

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of revisions to the schedule of restricted species of dangerous wild animals on the level of non-compliance with licensing requirements under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No assessment has been made since the Schedule to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act was amended in 2007 with regard to the levels of non-compliance.

TREASURY

Banks: Pay

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislative proposals to limit the remuneration of directors of banks with deposit-taking licences to 10 times the average wage paid to employees of that bank.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have taken steps to ensure that remuneration paid at systemically significant financial institutions is commensurate with a prudent approach to risk and leads to long-term value creation. The FSA code, which comes into force on 1 January 2010, includes requirements for deferral and clawback from significant banking and other institutions. In addition, the Government are taking legislative measures in the Financial Services Bill that will strengthen the FSA's hand and enable improved disclosure of remuneration, which in turn will facilitate better shareholder oversight of risk.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury does not plan to host any Christmas parties in 2009. Where parties are held within the Department, these are arranged and paid for by staff themselves.

Corporation Tax

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue which would be raised by treating all capital gains accruing to companies as income and taxing them at the appropriate corporate tax rate in 2009-10.

Stephen Timms: No additional revenues would be raised. Companies capital gains are charged to corporation tax as part of their total profits, at the same rate as any income profits. Consequently companies' chargeable gains are already taxed at the relevant rate of corporation tax for 2009-10. It is highly probable that there would be a fall in net receipts once account is taken of any accumulated capital losses which are currently only given relief against future capital gains, rather than income.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assets of his Department are planned to be sold in each year from 2009-10 to 2013-14; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each such sale is; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have stated their intention to realise £16 billion in asset disposals over the period 2011-14 and will publish further details of opportunities to commercialise business assets in the coming weeks.
	The Treasury's Asset Management Strategy was published in December 2007 on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/vfm_deliveryagreement
	It stated that with the disposals in 2007-08, the Treasury Group will have met the Government's aim that each Department should dispose of at least 10 per cent. of its asset stock in the period 2004-05 to 2010-11. There will be limited opportunities to make any further disposals in the remainder of the period through to 2010-11.

Departmental Coordination: Economic Situation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanism the activities of HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to tackle the recession are co-ordinated.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury Ministers and officials are in constant contact with colleagues in BIS on economic policy matters including those activities designed to tackle the recession.
	The National Economic Council is a full Cabinet Committee introduced in October 2008 to provide a new approach to managing economic policies across Government in the context of the immense challenges created by recent global financial and economic uncertainties.
	The Chancellor and the First Secretary of State-as well as other HMT and BIS Ministers-are members of the National Economic Council, which meets frequently to assess the implications of the ongoing challenges in the financial markets for the wider economy, at both a global and national level.
	In addition, both HM Treasury and BIS are jointly responsible for public service agreement 1 (PSA 1)-to raise the productivity of the UK economy. This mechanism provides a forum for coordinating action across member departments.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to Departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury Group's Value for Money Delivery Agreement, revised in July 2009, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, sets out how it is aiming to deliver £35 million of VfM savings by 2010-11, including £5 million increased at Budget 2009 as a result of work on the Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP).
	The Treasury Group will provide an update on progress towards delivering its VfM target in its Autumn Performance Report. Details of VfM plans beyond the current spending review period are not yet available.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 6 June 2006 there have been no official allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing by Treasury staff.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table shows the information requested, where such food products were procured by contractors supplying food to HM Treasury during 2008-09.
	
		
			  Food procured from within UK: 1 April 2008 To 31 March 2009 
			Percentage 
			  (a) Mutton and lamb 87 
			
			  (b) Beef and veal 92 
			
			  (c) and  (e) Poultry meat, including chicken and turkey 35 
			
			  (d) Bacon 15 
			  Other Pork 95 
			
			  (g) Unprocessed potatoes 90 
			  Processed potatoes 82 
			  Roots and Onions (including carrots, parsnips, onions, turnips and swedes) 70 
			  Brassica (including Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower) 75 
			  Legumes (including beans and peas) 55 
			  Protected vegetables (including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery and sweet peppers) 35 
			  Other vegetables (including asparagus, celery, leeks, lettuce and watercress) 45 
			
			  (h) Orchard fruit (including apples, pears and plums) 20 
			  Soft fruit (including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blackcurrants) 35

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) cost and  (b) purpose was of legal (i) representation and (ii) advice sought by his Department and its agencies in each year since May 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not normally pay bonuses to consultants or contractors. Performance incentives may be included within contracts, where appropriate, and paid according to the terms of those contracts. However, analysis of all the contracts in each of the last three financial years to determine whether incentives were paid could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Debt Management Office have not paid any bonuses or provided any incentives to consultants or contractors.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Chancellor of the Exchequer travels regularly by train in the course of his official duties.

Departmental Taxis

Ian Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts his Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what expenditure his Department has incurred under each such contract in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasury has had contracts with two taxi companies in the past three completed financial years. The following table sets out the total expenditure on each.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Premier Despatch Ltd., London(1) 168 139 216 
			 1st Goldstar Taxis, Norwich - 8 13 
			 (1 )Premier Despatch Ltd was acquired by Addison Lee in February 2009

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of staff of his Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury and OGC offer flexible working and job share to staff, where operational constraints permit, as a tool to improve work/life balance. Many flexible working arrangements including job share are made informally between managers and staff and are not formally recorded. This information could only therefore be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The UK Debt Management Office has thirteen staff who work either flexibly or part-time, representing proportionately 13.13 per cent. of staff. The UK Debt Management Office has an "Alternative Working Arrangements" policy by which staff may make an application for working either flexibly or on a part-time basis. Decisions are taken on the basis of statutory and business requirements and on a case by case basis.

Financial Services: Regulation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his assessment is of the proposals in the Financial Services Authority's Retail Distribution Review, with particular reference to their effects on independent financial advisers; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Retail Distribution Review is a matter for the FSA, as the independent regulator. The FSA published a cost-benefit analysis alongside its latest proposals, as well as further analysis by independent consultants, on the FSA website.

Generic Financial Advice Review

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to implement the findings of the Thoresen Review of generic financial advice which the Government have accepted.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are testing the Thoresen Review's blueprint for a generic financial advice or 'Money Guidance' service through a large-scale pilot or pathfinder in the North West and North East of England. The £12 million pathfinder is jointly funded and delivered by HM Treasury and the Financial Services Authority. Launched in April, it is on track to meet its target to reach over 500,000 people by March 2010, through the Moneymadeclear website, helpline and face- to-face services provided by a wide range of local partners. The Moneymadeclear website and helpline is also available UK-wide.
	Interim evaluation findings from the pathfinder indicate that the Money Guidance service can be effective and the Money Guidance service will therefore be rolled out nationally from spring 2010. The Financial Services Bill introduced in the Commons on 19 November includes provisions for a new consumer financial education body which will lead and direct funding to national implementation of Money Guidance.

Government Securities

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cost-benefit analyses his Department carried out to assess the value for money of the issuance of a sterling sukuk; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have looked carefully at the case for issuing sovereign sukuk and concluded that it would not offer value for money at the present time but it will keep the situation under review.

Housing: Valuation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many properties are recorded with each individual  (a) dwellinghouse code and  (b) value significant code in the local authority area of South Cambridgeshire; and what the category for (i) type, (ii) number of rooms, (iii) number of bedrooms, (iv) number of bathrooms, (v) number of floors, (vi) floor level, (vii) parking, (viii) garaging, (ix) conservatory type, (x) age, (xi) outbuilding and (xii) modernisation code was according to electronic records held by the Valuation Office Agency.

Ian Pearson: A table showing the number of properties with each individual dwellinghouse code and each value significant code, for all local authority areas, has been placed in the Freedom of Information Disclosure Log on the Valuation Office Agency's website in Excel format. A link to the information is as follows:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/access-to-information/Disclosure_Log_Internet_vB_publish6.doc

Income Tax

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax revenues likely to be raised as a consequence of the treatment for income tax purposes of all capital gains accruing to individuals as income.

Stephen Timms: Due to the difficulties of assessing the large behavioural responses, which would result from a change of this kind, a reliable estimate can be determined only at disproportionate cost.

Monetary Policy

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent assessment is of the effects of quantitative easing on levels of high street credit; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Bank of England has operational responsibility for monetary policy, including use of the Asset Purchase Facility. The Bank publishes quarterly reports on the APF, the first of which was published on 27 April with subsequent reports published on 27 July and 26 October. The Bank also reports on the APF in its Inflation Report and Quarterly Bulletin and regularly publishes operational information for the APF on its website.

Public Expenditure

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation is planned for the implementation of the Clear Line of Sight Project.

Liam Byrne: The Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill contains two clauses in Part 8 of the Bill that relate to implementation of the Clear Line of Sight project.
	Clause 57 makes provision to include the spending of non-departmental public bodies, and other central Government bodies so designated by HM Treasury, in the Supply Estimates and resource accounts of the responsible Government Department. Clause 52 makes corresponding provision by amending part 5 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 to enable the Welsh Assembly Government to include in their annual Budget motions information on the use of resources by bodies funded by the Assembly.
	Both clauses provide for a statutory instrument to contain an order listing the bodies to be designated.

Public Expenditure

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with each of his Cabinet colleagues on plans for the next comprehensive spending review; when he expects to announce the arrangements for the next comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Departmental budgets have been set to financial year 2010-11. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce the timing of the spending review process to set budgets from financial year 2011-12 in the normal way. The Chancellor will set out more detail on the Government's spending plans at the pre-Budget report 2009.

Tax Allowances: Pensions

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the tax revenue which would be raised by limiting tax relief on pension contributions to the basic rate of income tax only for all taxpayers in 2009-10.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Latest detailed estimates of the annual cost of tax relief in relation to registered pension schemes are available in Table 7.9 on HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/pensions/menu.htm

Tax Allowances: Professional Organisations

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax revenues likely to be raised as a consequence of the ending of tax relief on professional subscriptions paid by accountants and lawyers.

Stephen Timms: Information on the tax relief given for payments made for professional fees and subscriptions is not available by industry or professionalism.

Taxation: EU Countries

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect of tax competition in the European Union on revenues to the UK Exchequer; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Tax developments in all EU member states are continuously monitored and taken into account when deciding tax policy.
	The comparisons we make illustrate that the UK remains a competitive place to do business with the lowest corporation tax rate of the major G7 economies.
	The Government remain committed to maintaining the competitive position of the UK.

Ulster Bank

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received recent representations on the foreclosure by Ulster Bank on  (a) building contractors and  (b) small businesses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

OLYMPICS

Olympic and Paralympic Games

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what proportion of the £9.325 billion public sector funding package for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been spent since 2005-06.

Tessa Jowell: 33.8 per cent. of the £9.325 billion public sector funding package has been spent to the end of September 2009.
	Further information is provided in the latest London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games quarterly economic report (published 23 November 2009). I have placed copies in the Libraries of both Houses.

Operational Efficiency Programme

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what efficiency savings projects her Office put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to the Office's savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: My ministerial portfolio requires my office to operate out of the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Both Departments have Operational Efficiency Programmes, the details of which are outlined in the answers provided by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport and the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office, respectively.

Third Sector Organisations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what funding her Office has allocated to third sector organisations to develop their sporting facilities as part of the plans for the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: An element of the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) budget has been allocated for upgrading local host borough sporting facilities for use as Games-time training venues, and some of these facilities may be owned by third sector community organisations. It is expected that such facility developments will remain as a benefit in legacy.
	Works to enhance existing facilities for the Games have been agreed at a number of venues including Eton Dorney (for rowing and flat water canoeing events) and at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (for sailing events).
	As agreements are being reached with each individual facility, the value of the budget available for these works is commercially confidential.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his contribution of 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 466, how many Mastiff 2 and Ridgeback armoured vehicles military forces will receive in  (a) the UK for re-deployment training and  (b) Afghanistan for actual combat missions; and when he expects such vehicles to be issued to forces personnel.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information requested about how many armoured vehicles military forces will receive in Afghanistan as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.
	However, I am able to confirm that there are currently 51 Mastiff 2 and 59 Ridgback vehicles available for pre-deployment training in the UK. Under existing procurement, a further 22 Mastiff 2 for training purposes are due for delivery in third quarter 2010.
	A further procurement package is being planned which will provide additional Mastiff 2 and Ridgbacks.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops are involved in the training of Afghan security forces in Helmand province.

Bob Ainsworth: While there are currently approximately 440 UK troops directly involved in the training of Afghan National Security Forces in Helmand Province, over the coming year, as the UK re-configures its force structure in Helmand to fully support COMISAF's partnering plan, the proportion of UK troops in Helmand involved in the training of Afghan Security forces will increase significantly.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to increase the amount of training forces personnel receive in counter-insurgency measures relevant to combat operations in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: All forces deploying to Afghanistan receive a comprehensive training package that incorporates up-to-date tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs). These TTPs are constantly informed by a Lessons Learned process ensuring that current counter-insurgency measures being used in Afghanistan are taught to those about to deploy. The amount and content of such training is continuously reviewed and adjusted as and when operational requirements dictate.

Armed Forces: Accommodation

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009,  Official Report, column 223W, on armed forces: accommodation, what the maximum sum payable under  (a) food and incidental allowance,  (b) get you home travel allowance,  (c) home to duty travel allowance and  (d) recruitment and retention allowance (London) was in the latest period for which figures are available; how many personnel at each (i) staff officer rank and (ii) equivalent civil service payband claimed each allowance in that period; and what the single (A) highest and (B) lowest claim for each allowance as at each rank or payband in that period.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 23 November 2009
	The allowances mentioned are paid only to Service personnel who meet the relevant eligibility criteria, and not to civilians. Rates of allowances are reviewed annually.
	Food and Incidental Allowance is paid at a daily rate of £12.78 (£383.40 per month, pro rata). This is paid to assist single and unaccompanied Service personnel in the UK to meet the necessary costs of food and incidental expenses when they are without access to Service accommodation/messing facilities, but have self-catering facilities, and does not require submission of receipts.
	Recruitment and Retention Allowance (London) is paid at a daily rate £3.76 for all Service Personnel who work within five miles of the statue of King Charles I at Charing Cross. This is paid to counter reluctance to serve in designated London locations by contributing to the higher costs encountered during a permanent assignment in London and by compensating for the reduced quality of the supporting infrastructure.
	Get You Home Travel, the rate of which is determined by the distance from a family home and the place of duty. The minimum amount payable is £1.07, commencing at 20 miles, and the maximum amount payable is £13.39 per day. The latter represents a family home being 530 miles away from a place of duty. It is paid to support the mobile nature of the Services and improve retention by reducing the financial impact of separation on Service personnel.
	Home to Duty (Public) is paid to those eligible service Personnel who reside in Forces Family Accommodation, to assist with the daily cost of travel between their home and place of duty. In certain circumstances, Service personnel in receipt of Get You Home Travel will not be eligible for concurrent payment of Home to Duty (Public). Dependant on the distance and method of travel used the following maximum rates are payable:
	
		
			   Miles/£ 
			 Distance each way from Place of Duty (miles) 70 
			   
			 Automatic motor vehicles - daily rate (£) 25.81 
			 Manual motor vehicles - daily rate (£) 43.61 
			 Automatic pedal cycles - monthly rate (£) 12.43 
			 Manual pedal cycles - monthly rate 21.00 
		
	
	Home to Duty (Private) is payable to those eligible Service Personnel who do not occupy Service Accommodation, to assist with the daily cost of travel between their home and place of duty. Service personnel in receipt of Get You Home Travel will not be eligible for concurrent payment of Home to Duty (Private). Dependant on the distance and method of travel used the following maximum rates are payable:
	
		
			   Miles/£ 
			 Distance each way from Place of Duty (miles) 70 
			 Automatic motor vehicles - daily rate (£) 15.24 
			 Manual motor vehicles - daily rate (£) 25.75 
			 Automatic pedal cycles - monthly rate (£) 7.34 
			 Manual pedal cycles - monthly rate (£) 12.40 
		
	
	Most allowances are payable on qualifying criteria other than rank held. The status of 'staff officer' has a number of different meanings and could be applied to a specific appointment undertaken by a Junior Military Officer or those officers of starred rank. As a result it would be difficult to obtain information on recipients of 'staff officer' status, as it would require the application of varied parameters to a number of different searches which could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All of these allowances are applicable to commissioned and non-commissioned personnel.

Armed Forces: Body Armour

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the protection offered to servicemen's testicles by body armour in current use;
	(2)  whether his Department is assessing or commissioning research on the protection which can be provided for servicemen's testicles with relation to blast injuries on operations; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: All of the protective personal equipment provided to armed forces personnel is constantly under review. The Osprey body armour systems are considered to be among the best in the world, and the survival rates are testimony to that. However, a direct by-product of that is that personnel are now surviving with other associated and sometimes life-changing injuries. We are continually seeking ways to further protect our personnel, and work is well under way to research ways of providing additional protection including for the whole perineal area.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what medical service and readjustment programmes were provided to wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan in each year since 2001; what his planned expenditure on these services is in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Medical Services (DMS) provide an extensive range of medical treatment and wider support for wounded Service personnel. Since 2001 we have made numerous clinical and administrative improvements to the treatment that we provide, all of which are intended to improve the quality of care that our wounded personnel receive. Where these are a consequence of operational requirements, they have been funded from the Reserve (Conflict Prevention Fund). The Government have also funded many improvements from within the Defence budget, such as £24 million of additional funding over four years for the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Headley Court, announced in 2008.
	For personnel on operations, the care starts in the operational theatre, with life-saving medical treatment on the frontline and in our field hospitals. Those who need further specialist care back in the UK are normally returned to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital, which is at the leading edge in the treatment of multiple trauma injuries as commonly sustained by our battle casualties, and has since 2006 had a military-managed ward.
	If patients require further rehabilitation care they may be referred to Headley Court, or for outpatient treatment at one of MOD's 15 military Regional Rehabilitation Units. We also provide mental healthcare for those who need it, primarily through our 15 military out-patient Departments of Community Mental Health across the UK (plus centres overseas); in-patient care is arranged for those who need it.
	Wider support to those who are injured is overseen by a Welfare Coordinator, who will work with appropriate specialists to offer support and advice in such areas as housing, access to services and counselling if required, as well as providing support through key transition points, such as a move to or from Headley Court.
	Medical policy for the DMS is overseen by the Surgeon General's Department. However, the organisational structure of the DMS means that comprehensive budgetary planning information on medical care could be provided only at disproportionate cost as substantial elements are disaggregated and embedded in the budgets of the single Services, individual military units, and overall operational budgets.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen have lost one or both testicles as a result of injuries received on operations in the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence publishes the numbers of personnel categorised as Very Seriously Injured and Seriously Injured as a result of Operations Telic and Herrick on its website at:
	www.mod.uk
	The figures are updated fortnightly. In addition, we are committed to publishing on a quarterly basis the numbers of service personnel who have suffered limb amputations as a result of injuries sustained while on operational deployment. However, in order both to protect the identities of small numbers of patients and to maintain operational security for the effectiveness of our protective countermeasures, we do not routinely publish VSI and SI sub-classified by other types of physical injury.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: In accordance with internal departmental guidance, staff Christmas meals and parties and service mess functions must be paid for by non-public funds or by staff subscription.

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since 1997; and for what purposes such services have been commissioned.

Bob Ainsworth: The information with regard to expenditure my Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since 1997 is not held centrally, and due to re-organisation over the period in question could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department has allocated for  (a) year-end and  (b) in-year bonuses for staff in 2009-10.

Bob Ainsworth: The total paybill for some 50,000 non-industrial and 11,000 industrial staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) (excluding Trading Funds) covered by the main pay awards is £1.827 billion of which 2.7 per cent. has been allocated for non consolidated performance awards for year end 2009-10.
	The total paybill for permanent members of the SCS is £19.3 million of which 8.6 per cent. has been allocated for non consolidated performance awards for year end 2009-10. This does not include Fixed Term employees at SCS level, who are employed on individual contracts.
	0.4 per cent of the total paybill for staff (excluding Trading Funds) has been allocated for in year Special Bonus Payments for year end 2009-10.

European Defence Agency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role is of the European Defence Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The European Defence Agency (EDA) was established in July 2004. The mission of the EDA is to support the European Council and the member states in their effort to improve the EU's defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) as it stands now and develops in the future. The agency was tasked by the council to:
	Develop European defence capabilities;
	Promote armaments co-operation in the EU;
	Improve the European defence industrial and technological base; and
	Promote collaborative defence research across the Union.

European Defence Agency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has responded to the European Defence Agency's Capability Development Plan.

Quentin Davies: The Ministry of Defence supports the European Defence Agency's Capability Development Plan (CDP), which focuses the Agency's and participating member states' efforts on developing European military capabilities in 12 selected priority areas. We participated fully in the development of the CDP and we are currently engaged in a number of the CDP programmes. We will continue to support the CDP as a mechanism for addressing military capability shortfalls across Europe and participate in projects where we see military benefit to the UK.

European Defence Agency

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding from the public purse has been provided to the European Defence Agency in each year since 2005; what assessment he has made of its performance; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The European Defence Agency (EDA) does valuable work developing European military capabilities and works successfully with participating member states on collaborative programmes and projects. The amount paid by the Ministry of Defence to the EDA in each year since 2005 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Calendar year  £ million 
			 2005 2.36 
			 2006 2.09 
			 2007 1.95 
			 2008 3.11 
			 2009 3.03 
		
	
	The figures in the table relate to the amounts paid for each calendar year. It should be noted that the answers provided previously to this question on 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1857W and 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 65W referred to financial years (April to March) but the amounts detailed actually related to calendar years.

Military Aircraft: EU Action

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of the creation of a European air transport fleet on  (a) jobs,  (b) income and  (c) military operational effectiveness in the UK.

Quentin Davies: The European Air Transport Fleet (EATF) aims to address shortfalls in military strategic air transport capability, for example through the pooling of aircraft or shared procurement. The UK will indirectly benefit from the improved aircraft availability across Europe for support to operations through increased burden sharing. The UK procures military aircraft according to our national requirements and does not have spare capacity to contribute to the EATF. Therefore, we do not currently plan to participate in the programme. As such we have not carried out any detailed assessments of the potential wider benefits to the UK. We will continue to monitor the EATF programme and keep our position under review.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Bob Ainsworth: I last travelled by train on 24 November 2009 to visit Headley Court.

Warships: EU Action

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the UK will play in relation to the European initiative on naval interoperability; and what the principle objectives are of this initiative.

Quentin Davies: There are two principal European initiatives on naval interoperability, the European Amphibious Initiative (EAI) and the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGII). Both initiatives seek to enhance European interoperability and capability in Amphibious and Carrier Strike Group operations respectively through greater cooperation and combined training and exercising at both the tactical and operational level. The main objective of these initiatives is that, by working more closely together in peacetime, it will allow for a more rapid and effective deployment of a multinational Amphibious or Carrier Strike Group force, when required, in the framework of NATO or EU-led operations.
	As a permanent member, along with France, Italy, Netherlands and Spain, and with its well developed and balanced Amphibious forces, the UK plays an important part in the EAI. The UK provides the Permanent Secretariat and in 2010 will assume the chair, which is rotated on an annual basis between its members.
	The UK, as a lead nation in operating Vertical and Short Take Off aircraft (VSTOL) from the sea, also plays an important role in the ECGII as one of its permanent members, along with Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

WALES

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I plan to host a Christmas reception in London and another in Cardiff this year. We will not be serving food, only snacks and drinks will be provided. I would estimate the cost of each reception to be around £250, although the final amount will not be known until after the events are held.

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants from his Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many domestic flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in an official capacity in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse.

Peter Hain: My officials took 17 domestic flights in the last financial year at a cost of £2,516.66.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efficiency savings projects his Department put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to Departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office falls outside the remit of the Operational Efficiency Programme as it is a small office of around 60 staff. However, we are currently reviewing the scope for delivering additional efficiency savings.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not have any in-house catering. External caterers supply food and drink for meetings and receptions in London and Cardiff. Catering for functions and meetings in London and Cardiff includes, where possible and consistent with value for money, a mixture of fair trade or locally sourced produce.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has an English and Welsh website:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk
	and
	www.swyddfa.cymru.gov.uk
	The combined number of page hits for 2008-09 was 71,315.
	The combined number of visitors for 2008-09 was 21,150.

Departmental Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which  (a) individuals other than Ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and  (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009.

Peter Hain: In the week of 9 November I met a range of individuals and organisations who have an interest in Wales and I attended the British-Irish Council.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Peter Hain: I travel by train between my constituency, office in Cardiff and London on a weekly basis.

Departmental Scientists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) civil servants in scientific posts there are in his Department.

Peter Hain: None.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office does not plan to host any Christmas parties in 2009.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office does not record procurement of meat, vegetables and fruit by country of origin and the information would be available only at disproportionate cost. Where possible, the Department always aims to use local Northern Ireland produce.

Police: Devolution

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his most recent estimate is of the cost under each budget heading of implementing his Department's proposals for devolution of policing and justice powers in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office established a Devolution Programme team in April 2007 which up to the end of October 2009 has cost £633,961. Other staff across the Department have also been involved in implementing proposals for the devolution of policing and justice but quantifying these costs could not be done within the disproportionate cost limit.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bereavement Benefits

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of bereavement benefit in 2008-09; what the total amount paid was; and in what percentage of cases the benefit was subsequently reduced.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 23 November 2009
	Outturn expenditure, in cash terms, on bereavement benefits for 2008-09 was £675 million.
	The available information on the number of recipients is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of people in receipt of bereavement benefits as at each quarter in 2008-09 
			   Number 
			 May 2008 59,850 
			 August 2008 59,400 
			 November 2008 59,190 
			 February 2009 60,720 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 
		
	
	There is no information available about the percentage of cases where the benefit was subsequently reduced.

Housing Benefit

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of housing benefit in Norwich North constituency on the latest date for which information is available.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the tax cost of doubling the winter fuel allowance for people who have retired.

Angela Eagle: The current per household amounts for the winter fuel payment are £250 for those aged 60-79 and £400 for those aged over 80 (including the additional payment of £50 and £100 respectively). The additional public expenditure consequences of making winter fuel payments at double these rates, to only those who have reached state pension age, would be around £2 billion for 2009-10.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Canada: Embassies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Canadian citizens have sought the protection or assistance of British embassies and high commissions in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We hold figures for the number of Commonwealth nationals who have sought the protection or assistance of British missions overseas, but make no further breakdown by nationality. In 2007-08 (the latest year for which figures are available) our overseas Posts provided 423 services, including advice and self help, to Commonwealth nationals.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this information centrally, and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Colombia: EU External Trade

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to oppose a free trade agreement between the EU and Colombia unless human rights in Colombia are judged to meet international standards.

Chris Bryant: Yes, the UK is leading efforts within the EU to ensure that any agreement with Colombia is linked to a human rights clause. This clause will enable us to suspend the agreement if it is breached, and will act as a catalyst for frank dialogue with Colombia on the issue.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The latest period for which figures are available is April 2008 to March 2009. Details have been provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for publication by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/awareness.htm
	The proportions of foods procured by the FCO that were produced in the UK are as follows:
	 Meats :
	lamb and mutton - 50 per cent.
	beef and veal - 80 per cent.
	chicken - poultry meat - 75 per cent.
	pork - 45 per cent.
	turkey - included in poultry meat
	other meats - 0 per cent.
	 Vegetables:
	Ware potatoes - whole, unprepared - 99 per cent.
	Processed potatoes - for prepared both whole and cut - 100 per cent.
	Roots and Onions - for example carrots, parsnips, onions, turnips and swedes - 82 per cent.
	Brassicas - for example brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower - 65 per cent.
	Legumes - for example beans (broad), beans (runner and dwarf), peas (green for market), peas (green for processing), peas (harvested dry) - 52 per cent.
	Protected vegetables - for example tomatoes (round, vine, plum and cherry), tomatoes (cold), cucumbers, lettuce, celery, sweet peppers - 25 per cent.
	Other vegetables - for example asparagus, celery, leeks, lettuce, watercress - 55 per cent.
	 Fruit:
	Orchard fruit - for example dessert apples, culinary apples, pears, plums - 50 per cent.
	Soft fruit - for example strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants - 31 per cent.

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since 1997; and for what purposes such services were commissioned.

Chris Bryant: The amount spent by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on external legal advice and representation from counsel and solicitors in private practice by way of disbursements paid via the Treasury Solicitor (which form the bulk of the FCO's external legal costs) in each year since 1998 is as follows:
	
		
			  (£) 
			 1998-99 54,667.70 
			 1999-2000 50,963.21 
			 2000-01 117,117.11 
			 2001-02 124,641.66 
			 2002-03 697,878.22 
			 2003-04 204,366.75 
			 2004-05 331,731.68 
			 2005-06 328,378.29 
			 2006-07 387,591.16 
			 2007-08 294,497.06 
			 2008-09 362,177.08 
		
	
	The figure for such spending for the financial year 1997-98 is no longer held by the FCO.
	The FCO does not hold information on aggregate amounts of external fees paid other than via the Treasury Solicitor.
	These professional services are commissioned for the purposes of legal representation in court proceedings and obtaining legal advice.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each of the last three years.

Chris Bryant: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, its Executive agencies (FCO Services and Wilton Park) or its non-departmental public bodies make bonus payments to consultants or individual contractors.
	 (b) Incentive regimes are rarely used for contracts with consultants and individual contractors. If incentives are included in a contract they are negotiated on a case- by-case basis taking care to ensure value for money. No central record is maintained of such contractual provisions.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bonus schemes for its staff his Department operates; and what the purpose is of those schemes.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) operates two types of bonus scheme.
	The main scheme is purely performance related, based on the previous year's appraisal. The purpose of the scheme is to encourage excellent individual performance and achievement during the year.
	We also operate an in-year bonus scheme for staff below the senior civil service only.
	The scheme is designed to give managers scope to recognise specific examples of good performance, which contribute towards the achievement of the FCO, directorate general, directorate or mission's objectives.

Departmental Property: Theft

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's officials have  (a) been reprimanded,  (b) had their contract of employment terminated and  (c) been prosecuted for theft of departmental property in each of the last three years; and what items were stolen in each case.

Ivan Lewis: Central records show that no members of staff have been reprimanded, had their contract of employment terminated or been prosecuted for theft of departmental property in each of the last three years.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last travelled by train to and from Brussels for the European Council on 29 and 30 October 2009.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Chris Bryant: The total weight of paper recycled on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) UK estate during the last five financial years was:
	
		
			  FY  Tonnes 
			 2004-05 153.88 
			 2005-06 76 
			 2006-07 130.4 
			 2007-08 137 
			 2008-09 148 
		
	
	In 2008-09 the total waste arisings of the FCO on its UK estate were 960 tonnes of which 59 per cent. was recycled. This compares to a figure of 48 per cent. for 2007-08.

Diplomatic Relations: Parliament

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK of the report on promoting parliamentary diplomacy produced by the Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe, AS/POL (2009) 18 rev; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The report on "Promoting Parliamentary Diplomacy" is still in draft and has not yet been approved by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe or communicated to the Committee of Ministers. We will contribute to the Committee of Ministers' response in due course, if the Parliamentary Assembly requests such a response.

Gibraltar: Politics and Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Gibraltar on  (a) the application of the European Convention on Human Rights to Gibraltar and  (b) applications for citizenship by Moroccans resident and working in Gibraltar.

Ivan Lewis: While the Government continually monitor Gibraltar's compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, there have been no recent discussions on the specific application of the convention.
	The issue of citizenship by Moroccan residents in Gibraltar has been recently discussed by officials of the Governor's Office and the Government of Gibraltar. Processes which lead to the acquisition of British Citizenship in Gibraltar come under the responsibility of the Governor's Office on behalf of the Government. The Government of Gibraltar are responsible for regulation covering immigration to Gibraltar.

Government Hospitality

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which functions the Government Hospitality Fund provided services in 2008-09; and which Department hosted each such event.

Chris Bryant: In the financial year 2008-09 Government Hospitality managed 213 functions hosted by Ministers or permanent secretaries for the following Government Departments:
	The Office of the Prime Minister; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; the Ministry of Defence; the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; the Ministry of Justice; the Department for International Development; the Home Office; the Department for Children Families and Schools; the Department for the Energy and Climate Change; the Department of Health; HM Treasury; the Cabinet Office, and the Office of the Attorney-General.

Government Hospitality

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by Government Hospitality in 2008-09.

Chris Bryant: In the financial year 2008-09 Government Hospitality in Protocol Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recorded the following: expenditure on functions, equipment, laundry, porterage, flowers, wines, spirits and soft drinks was £488,044.

Iraq: Health

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of higher than usual  (a) birth and  (b) other health defects in the population of Fallujah, Iraq.

Ivan Lewis: Officials in the Department for International Development (DFID) have received reports from the Child Victims of the Iraq War Foundation of high rates of foetal abnormalities and infant deaths in Fallujah. At present, the situation remains unclear due to discrepancies in the data available from a range of sources on this topic. DFID has requested further information on this issue from various international medical organisations operating in Fallujah.

Iraq: Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of conditions in Camp Ashraf, Iraq, with particular reference to  (a) access for (i) doctors and (ii) fuel tankers and  (b) the consequences of Iraqi action against the camp's residents in July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We understand that since the events at Camp Ashraf on 28 July, the situation is generally calm and the camp residents have continued access to food, water, medical and essential supplies. Officials from our embassy in Baghdad have met with the Iraqi government Ashraf Committee and the UN to discuss the situation. During these meetings they confirmed that necessary supplies were able to enter the camp unimpeded.
	Our ambassador in Iraq wrote to the Iraqi Human Rights Minister to ask for a review of the events that took place at the camp on 28 July. The Iraqi government are undertaking a review and we have asked to be kept informed of progress.

Iraq: Iran

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's assessment is of the status in international law of the residents of Camp Ashraf, Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Camp Ashraf is in a sovereign and democratic Iraq and the camp residents subject to its laws. The UK is of the view that the residents of Camp Ashraf, as with all people in Iraq, enjoy rights and protections under the Iraqi constitution and applicable international obligations to which Iraq is a signatory. We do not consider that they have 'protected persons' status.
	We do not feel a ministerial statement is necessary at this time.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy at the UN General Assembly on the Goldstone report on the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict is; what his voting intention on the report in the UN Security Council is; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We made clear that the Goldstone report raised very serious issues. We worked hard before the vote at the UN General Assembly in New York on 5 November to reach a consensus on calling for independent investigations. In the end we had to abstain, with France and 42 others, because voting for would have meant endorsing the report and ignoring its flaws. But the issues are serious and the parties should address them.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the United Kingdom abstained from the vote in the UN General Assembly on a resolution endorsing the findings of the report of the UN Fact-finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; who instructed the UK representative to abstain; who was consulted on the decision; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK worked hard before the vote at the UN in New York, on 5 November, to reach a consensus on calling for independent investigation. In the end we had to abstain, with France and 42 others, because voting for would have meant endorsing the report and ignoring its flaws. But the issues are serious and the parties should address them. The UK representative voted in accordance with Ministers' instructions.

National Independent Electoral Commission

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of  (a) the effectiveness of the National Independent Electoral Commission and  (b) the adequacy of its operational resources.

Ivan Lewis: The Independent Election Commission (IEC) was able to hold the first Afghan-led elections for over 30 years. In the face of insecurity and threats to its 160,000 staff across Afghanistan, it enabled millions of Afghans to come out and make their voice heard in choosing the future leadership of their country. While there were minor complaints about the quality of some of the materials it used, such as the hole punches to mark the voter cards, the operation overall was well resourced. The UK contributed £16.5 million to the UN basket fund for elections, which included recourses and capacity building for the IEC.
	Clearly there are lessons to be learned for future elections. But the processes in place provided for an independent audit of the results that came through the IEC. The audit process, conducted by the Electoral Complaints Commission, in co-operation with the IEC following election day on 20 August, was robust and transparent: flaws in the process were reported, investigated and decided on, and fraudulent ballots removed. Following the conclusion of this process, we are confident that the result of the 2009 presidential elections reflects the will of the Afghan people.

Somalia: Human Trafficking

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on levels of human trafficking in Somalia; and what discussions he has had with his Somali counterpart on the matter.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received any reports on the levels of human trafficking in Somalia. The extremely fragile security situation in Somalia means that the UK does not have any presence on the ground with which to monitor issues such as human trafficking. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held discussions with his Somali counterpart on the matter.
	The February 2009 report of the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights in Somalia identified human trafficking, along with many other human rights issues and criminal acts, as an important challenge to be addressed. The report recommends that the Transitional Federal Government make human rights the foundation of its transitional period and that the UN address the root causes of smuggling and trafficking of people across the Gulf of Aden. The UK works closely with the UN Political Office for Somalia to progress the UN-led Djibouti peace agreement.

Somalia: Piracy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 2 November 2009,  Official Report, column 666W, on Somalia: piracy, if he will place in the Library a copy of the final report of the regional needs assessment mission to the Horn of Africa in September 2009.

David Miliband: I have placed a copy of the final report of the regional needs assessment mission to the Horn of Africa in the Library of the House.

United Arab Emirates

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aims and objectives he has set for UK foreign policy in respect of the United Arab Emirates.

David Miliband: The UK aims to strengthen relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in all fields to our mutual benefit.
	We work closely with the UAE to promote support for enhanced regional and global security, we aim to improve cultural, sporting and scientific co-operation including supporting the creation and promotion of large scale renewable energy programmes by the UAE.
	Our work also aims to support British citizens in the UAE and to foster effective trade and economic co-operation that will further enhance links between British and Emirati businesses to operate successfully.

Whistleblowing

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have had a very small number of allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing since 6 June 2006. No further details can be provided because of the need to protect the identity of those involved.

CABINET OFFICE

Population: Statistics

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment the UK Statistics Authority has made of the accuracy of the population projections at the 20-year range which it and its predecessors made in the last 50 years.

Dawn Butler: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply to the right hon. Member. A copy of their response will be placed in the Library.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Cancer: Children

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation to publish its review of the incidence of childhood cancers.

David Kidney: I understand that the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) hope that the outcome of their further review of the incidence of childhood cancer around nuclear power stations will be available in the spring of 2010. We refer to the review in our consultation on my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's proposed decisions on the regulatory justification of new nuclear power station designs, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House and are available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/reg_just_cons/reg_just_cons.aspx

Electricity: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what the average cost has been of a unit of electricity supplied to domestic dwellings in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many units of electricity have been consumed in domestic dwellings in each year since 1997.

David Kidney: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Domestic consumption (TWh)  Average price per unit (pence/kWh) 
			 1997 104.5 8.6 
			 1998 109.4 8.1 
			 1999 110.3 8.0 
			 2000 111.8 7.8 
			 2001 115.3 7.6 
			 2002 114.5 7.5 
			 2003 115.8 7.6 
			 2004 115.5 7.8 
			 2005 116.8 8.6 
			 2006 116.4 10.2 
			 2007 115.1 11.6 
			 2008 117.8 12.3 
			 2009 (1)73.6 13.9 
			 (1) January-August 2009 
		
	
	Price information is the average unit price for UK customers consuming 3,300 kWh per year paying on standard credit terms. Figures for 2009 are provisional. Consumption data for 2009 are given up to the latest available month (August).

Natural Gas: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what the average cost has been of a unit of gas supplied to domestic dwellings in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of units of gas consumed in domestic dwellings in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

David Kidney: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Domestic consumption (TWh)  Average price per unit (pence/kWh) 
			 1997 345.5 1.8 
			 1998 355.9 1.8 
			 1999 358.1 1.7 
			 2000 369.9 1.6 
			 2001 379.4 1.6 
			 2002 376.4 1.7 
			 2003 386.5 1.8 
			 2004 396.4 1.9 
			 2005 384.0 2.1 
			 2006 365.9 2.6 
			 2007 352.9 3.1 
			 2008 363.3 3.2 
			 2009 (1)194.2 4.0 
			 (1) January-June 2009 
		
	
	Price information is the average unit price for GB customers consuming 18,000 kWh per year paying on standard credit terms. Figures for 2009 are provisional. Consumption data for 2009 are given up to the latest available month (June).

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Taxis

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what contracts his Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what expenditure his Department has incurred against each such contract in each of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: Private hire taxi services are provided by Addison Lee. During the last three years the following amounts were spent:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 16,095 
			 2007-08 17,055 
			 2008-09 10,823

Departmental Theft

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's officials have  (a) been reprimanded,  (b) had their contract of employment terminated and  (c) been prosecuted for theft of departmental property in each of the last three years; and what items were stolen in each case.

Si�n Simon: At no time in the last three years has a DCMS employee been reprimanded or prosecuted due to theft of departmental property. For the years 2006-07 and 2008-09 no DCMS employee has had their contract of employment terminated due to theft of departmental property. In the year 2007-08, one employee had their employment contract terminated due to the misuse of a Government procurement card on unauthorised purchases. This matter is currently the subject of legal proceedings before the High Court, and it would not be appropriate to offer further details at this stage.

Gambling Commission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what mechanism the performance of the Gambling Commission against its objectives is assessed; and how often the Commission's performance is assessed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission's performance is primarily assessed through a funding agreement with the Department which includes their agreed strategic objectives, together with funding and performance indicators/targets. The Department holds a formal sponsorship meeting with the Commission quarterly to review performance against both the indicators set out in the funding agreement and the Commission's corporate plan.
	In addition, I recently held my annual meeting with the chairman and chief executive as required by the funding agreement. The Commission has also been subject to three independent reviews, all of which considered them to be fit for purpose (National Audit Office, Office of Government Commerce and Hampton Implementation Review).

Gambling Commission: Allowances

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much officials of the Gambling Commission claimed for reimbursement of travel expenses in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Gambling Commission have advised that their officials claimed £217,655.29 for reimbursement of travel expenses in the 12 months to 31 October 2009. This figure includes the reimbursement for travel undertaken by 134 employees including those who perform routine compliance and enforcement duties.

Gambling Commission: Standards

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from the gambling industry on the effectiveness of the Gambling Commission.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I regularly receive representations, both verbal and written, from trade associations and individual businesses within the gambling industry about a range of issues relating to gambling regulation, including the role and effectiveness of the Gambling Commission.

Leisure: Local Government Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authorities have applied to his Department for funding for local leisure facilities in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The only direct DCMS funding stream, to help local authorities fund leisure facilities, over the stated time period has been PFI Credits.
	In the last five years, we have held three bidding rounds for PFI Credits under which local authorities could apply for funding in the form of PFI Credits.
	A table showing the number of applications we received, for each of the bidding rounds, for local leisure facilities is as follows.
	
		
			   Number of applications 
			 2003 12 
			 2005 17 
			 2007 0

Olympic Games 2012: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics on participation in sport in the West Midlands  (a) in general and  (b) by children under 14 years old.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Since the publication of the Government's Legacy Action Plan in June 2008, there has been significant progress on delivering our aims for a lasting community sport legacy from the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics across the UK.
	We are investing £480 million, through Sport England's Whole Sport Plan process, in the national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport during the run up to the games, in order to drive up participation so 1 million more people are doing more sport. The PE and Sport Strategy for Young People sets out how the £780 million of DCMS and DCSF investment is targeted at getting more children to do five hours of sport per week. The huge range of programmes under these strategies will help to ensure that the sporting system in 2012 and beyond is in the best shape possible.
	In addition, regional partners are capitalising on national programmes of delivery like Change 4 Life, Living Well and Free Swimming to encourage innovation through partnerships at all levels to create a real and lasting legacy from the 2012 games for the West Midlands. In addition, 10 local area agreements have already been signed for national indicator 8-local agreement to increase the number of adults participating in sport and active recreation.
	Within the region there are six sub-regional 2012 partnerships and each has identified a series of programmes and projects that will help to increase levels of participation in sport and physical activity.

Operational Efficiency Programme

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Royal Parks Agency and its non-departmental public bodies currently report on the value for money programme announced in the 2007 comprehensive spending review. This will deliver savings of £168 million over the three years to 2010-11, and as reported in the Departments 2008-09 annual report and accounts we are on target to achieve this. We have not been required to report separately on operational efficiency savings; therefore it would incur disproportionate costs to separate reporting to date.
	Looking beyond the current spending review period the Department is working closely with its NDPBs to scope opportunities for operational efficiency savings by 2013-14. This is being taken forward through a variety of work strands:
	Benchmarking of non-departmental public bodies with over 250 staff. This will be published in the next few weeks. This work was initiated in July 2009.
	The DCMS procurement council is actively promoting collaboration and value for money solutions across the Department and its arm's length bodies. This builds on the work initiated in February 2009 as part of the Department's response to the Procurement Capability Review.
	The Property Asset Management Board is developing a joint estates strategy. This work was initiated in September 2009.
	ICT mapping will be supported by a new CIO Council. This work was initiated in October 2009.
	These scoping studies will lead to detailed plans and savings in the new year.

Public Libraries: Wirral

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the Charteris review on Wirral libraries; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: We are currently considering evidence relating to the Wirral Inquiry in accordance with the Public Libraries (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1992. We will announce a decision shortly, and we will publish the report undertaken by Sue Charteris at the same time as the decision.

Tourism

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which 10 tourist attractions in England  (a) had the most visitors and  (b) raised the most revenue in each of the last two years.

Margaret Hodge: VisitEngland carries out periodical surveys of the free and paid-entry major tourist attractions in England. Based on the self-completion questionnaires returned, the most visited sites in 2007 and 2008 are listed in the table. VisitEngland does not record revenue figures.
	
		
			  Name  Visitors 
			  2007  
			 Xscape Milton Keynes 6,863,733 
			 Blackpool Pleasure Beach 5,500,000 
			 British Museum 5,400,062 
			 Tate Modern 4,915,376 
			 River Lee Country Park 4,515,258 
			 National Gallery 4,159,485 
			 Xscape Castleford 3,742,081 
			 Natural History Museum 3,652,003 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,809,900 
			 Science Museum 2,200,000 
			   
			  2008  
			 British Museum 5,930,000 
			 Tate Modern 4,862,581 
			 National Gallery 4,207,677 
			 Natural History Museum 3,260,731 
			 Science Museum 2,705,677 
			 Sheffield Winter Garden 2,500,000 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 2,420,815 
			 Grand Pier, Weston-super-mare 2,000,000 
			 National Portrait Gallery 1,843,266 
			 Tate Britain 1,618,309

Whistleblowing

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Si�n Simon: There have been no allegations made by any DCMS employee against another DCMS employee of victimisation due to whistleblowing since 6 June 2006.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Register of Surplus Public Sector Land

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many sites on the register of surplus public sector land are classed as suitable for new homes to be built on; and what estimate has been made of the number of new homes which could be built on such sites;
	(2)  how many sites on the register of surplus public sector land have been on the register for longer than  (a) six months and  (b) 12 months.

Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency estimate that 143 sites on the register of surplus public sector land may be suitable for housing development. These sites have the potential to build more than 18,000 homes. This estimate is included in the general figure given for housing on surplus public sector land provided by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Margaret Beckett) on 19 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 1346-47W. Individual Departments and agencies are responsible for deciding when to place or remove site details on the register depending on their operational need.
	Currently there are 692 sites on the register. Of those 692 sites  (a) 573 sites have been on the register for longer than six months and  (b) 540 for longer than 12 months.

Affordable Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many affordable homes were built in rural areas in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: The following table shows the number of new affordable homes (social rent, intermediate rent and low cost home ownership) built in rural areas in England each year since 1997-98.
	
		
			  New build affordable homes built in rural areas 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 10,050 
			 1998-99 8,910 
			 1999-2000 7,800 
			 2000-01 7,200 
			 2001-02 7,520 
			 2002-03 7,340 
			 2003-04 8,310 
			 2004-05 9,170 
			 2005-06 11,180 
			 2006-07 11,930 
			 2007-08 14,550 
			  Source: Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System (IMS), and local authority returns to CLG.  Note: Figures have been rounded to nearest 10 units. 
		
	
	Not all affordable housing is provided by new build completions, as some supply can come from acquisitions. For example, in 2007-08, a total of 16,760 additional affordable homes were provided in rural areas in England (new build and acquisitions).
	Total affordable housing supply statistics for 2008-09 will be released by CLG in December 2009.
	These figures reflect the delivery of affordable housing in the 178 local authorities defined as rural by the DEFRA Rural Definition (2004).

Community Development

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department and its predecessors have taken to develop community life in each of the last 12 years.

Barbara Follett: A broad range of policies and programmes undertaken by Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Departments aim directly or indirectly to develop community life. Information on the range of this activity could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) mobile telephones,  (b) personal digital assistants and  (c) laptop computers were purchased by the (i) Tenant Services Authority and (ii) Homes and Communities Agency in the last 12 months.

John Healey: The Tenant Services Authority has existed since 1 December 2008. Since its commencement, the authority has purchased:
	No mobile telephones;
	72 Blackberrys; and
	41 laptops.
	The Homes and Communities Agency has existed since 1 December 2008. Since its commencement, the agency has purchased:
	54 mobile telephones;
	116 Blackberrys; and
	124 laptops.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of jobs advertised by his Department in the last 12 months were online only applications; and what provision his Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in his Department who do not have access to the internet.

Barbara Follett: Communities and Local Government did not advertise any jobs in the last 12 months as online only applications.

Home Information Packs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of home information packs produced in each month since August 2007.

John Healey: The Department does not have a record of the number of HIPs produced. As HIPs must include an energy performance certificate (EPC), estimates are based on the number of EPCs lodged on the EPC register. The following table shows:
	The number of EPCs lodged on the EPC Register between 1 August 2007 and 21 September 2008. These totals include some 87,000 EPCs produced by local authorities and housing associations for rented homes as part of the social housing pilot.
	The number of EPCs produced for marketed sales since 22 September 2008. These totals are listed on a weekly basis and exclude EPCs for new homes using SAP as it is not possible to distinguish between EPCs produced in respect of new homes being built for rent and those being built for sale.
	
		
			   Number 
			 August 2007 24,915 
			 September 2007 63,542 
			 October 2007 85,192 
			 November 2007 50,080 
			 December 2007 28,834 
			 January 2008 74,161 
			 February 2008 101,176 
			 March 2008 96,187 
			 April 2008 113,801 
			 May 2008 93,906 
			 June 2008 88,316 
			 July 2008 92,102 
			 August 2008 96,665 
			 1 September 2008 - 21 September 2008 74,995 
			 22 September 2008 - 28 September 2008 23,513 
			 29 September 2008 - 2 November 2008 141,914 
			 3 November 2008 -30 November 2008 51,943 
			 1 December 2008 - 4 January 2009 36,046 
			 5 January 2009 - 1 February 2009 48,217 
			 2 February 2009 - 1 March 2009 57,340 
			 2 March 2009 - 29 March 2009 67,710 
			 30 March 2009 - 3 May 2009 90,130 
			 4 May 2009 - 31 May 2009 68,668 
			 1 June 2009 - 5 July 2009 92,118 
			 6 July 2009 - 2 August 2009 72,631 
			 3 August 2009 - 30 August 2009 72,799 
			 31 August 2009 - 4 October 2009 92,214 
			 5 October 2009 - 1 November 2009 66,106

Homelessness: South East

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless people there were in  (a) Lewes constituency,  (b) Sussex and  (c) the South East in each year since 1997.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available, and this information is also collected.
	The regional figures for the number of applicants accepted as owed a main duty and the number of households in temporary accommodation, for each financial year since 1998-99 can be found in Tables 3 and 7 of the latest Statistical Release. The equivalent 1997-98 figures can be found in earlier additions of the Release, accessible from this link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data are not collected at constituency level. Lewes constituency covers most of Lewes local authority and part of Wealden. Data are also not reported at County level. Sussex County is divided into East and West. The following local authorities form part of East Sussex: Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden. West Sussex comprises of the following local authorities: Adur, Arun, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Mid-Sussex, and Worthing.
	For local authority level acceptance and temporary accommodation figures between 1997-98 and 2008-09 (including those listed above), I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 843W, to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink).
	Information is also collected and reported on the number of people who sleep rough-that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. Local authority data and count guidance can be found here:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/roughsleeping/

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the reasons were for the requirement for an advance from the National Loans Fund to the Homes and Communities Agency referred to on page 56 of the Agency's annual report and financial statement 2008-09.

John Healey: The advance from the National Loans Fund (NLF) was made to the Housing Corporation, one of the predecessor bodies for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), in 2007-8. This was re-paid by the Housing Corporation before the launch of the HCA on 1 December 2008 (though this appears in the HCA's financial statements for 2008-09 as these were prepared on a merger accounting basis to give results for the full financial year in 2008-09) and the amount owed was £ nil as at 31 March 2009.
	The purpose of the NLF loan to the Housing Corporation had been to continue to fund some residual historical loans made by the Housing Corporation dating from the 1990s made to assist with right to buy purchases.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many property interests with negative value the Homes and Communities Agency holds; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Negative valued assets are those that have future liabilities attached to them. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) holds nine property interests with negative value.
	The future liabilities associated with these assets are fully provided for in Note 31 Provisions for liabilities and charges on page 86 of the HCA financial statements, as laid in the House.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what salary has been set for each Homes and Communities Agency regional director for 2009-10.

John Healey: As at the end of October 2009 the salary for each Homes and Communities Agency regional director was set at:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Regional Director London 157,325 
			 Regional Director East of England 142,100 
			 Regional Director West Midlands 131,848 
			 Regional Director South East 131,816 
			 Regional Director South West 131,950 
			 Regional Director North East 129,920 
			 Regional Director East Midlands 126,706 
			 Regional Director Yorkshire and Humber 121,800 
			 Regional Director North West 121,800 
		
	
	The salary award was backdated to 1 July 2009.

Homes and Communities Agency

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessor received in interest payments in each of the last three years.

John Healey: This information for the years ending 31 March 2009 and 31 March 2008 can be found in the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) Annual Report and Financial Statements 2008-09. For the year ending 31 March 2007, the information can be found in the published annual report and accounts for English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.

Housing: Planning

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the written ministerial statement of 30 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 43-44WS, on how many occasions in each region the Secretary of State has exercised powers to recover a planning appeal under section 79 of and paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 where the main reason for recovery was because the proposal was for a residential development of over 150 units which would have a significant impact on the Government's planning objective on housing supply balance and communities set out in the Statement.

John Healey: Planning Inspectors determine the vast majority of planning appeals, which numbered around 20,000 in 2008-09. The following table sets out the number of occasions in each region where appeals have been recovered since 30 June 2008 and the main reason for recovery was because the proposal was for a residential development of over 150 units which would have a significant impact on the Government's objective to secure a better balance between housing demand and supply and create high quality, sustainable, mixed and inclusive communities.
	
		
			   Number 
			 East Midlands 5 
			 East of England 6 
			 London 4 
			 North East 0 
			 North West 2 
			 South East 10 
			 South West 6 
			 West Midlands 2 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 0 
			 Total 35

Land Use

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much surplus public sector land there was in each  (a) region and  (b) local authority area in each of the last eight quarters.

Ian Austin: The register of surplus public sector land identifies land held by central Government and its agencies that is surplus to operational requirements. The register is published quarterly by the Homes and Communities Agency, and shows the county and local authority area where the surplus land is located. The reports of the last eight quarters, including the most up-to-date version that was published in September 2009, are available on the Homes and Communities Agency website at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/public/documents/SPSL-Register-September-2009.pdf

Legal Opinion

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) cost and  (b) purpose was of each piece of legal representation and advice obtained by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each year since May 1997.

Barbara Follett: Communities has spent the following amounts on legal services in the last three fiscal years. Figures for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 5,292,381 
			 2007-08 4,105,192 
			 2006-07 3,909,949 
		
	
	Legal advice was provided on a regular and ongoing basis. The majority will be protected by legal professional privilege or commercial confidentiality or both. Providing detailed information about advice obtained would be at disproportionate cost.
	The Fire Service College has supplied the following:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 57,470.81 
			 2002-03 73,613.72 
			 2003-04 38,643.55 
			 2004-05 79,410.99 
			 2005-06 50,447.51 
			 2006-07 27,519.36 
			 2007-08 26,678.10 
			 2008-09 51,907.48 
			 2009 to date (31 October 2009) 71,250.26 
		
	
	Costs prior to FY 2001-02 and the purpose of legal representation and advice sought cannot be provided due to disproportionate cost.
	The Planning Inspectorate has provided the following figures. They are unable to provide the reason for the expenditure as it is confidential.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 640,906 
			 2005-06 887,811 
			 2006-07 1,007,750 
			 2007-08 1,108,333 
			 2008-09 1,417,017 
			 2009-10 967,922 
		
	
	Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre uses the in-house legal team at CLG for its routine legal requirements. No external legal representatives used since beginning FY 2007-08. Information for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) current,  (b) retired and  (c) deferred members of the local government pension scheme in each scheme administering authority (i) were members prior to 1 April 2008 and (ii) have joined the scheme since 1 April 2008.

Barbara Follett: Details of the number of  (a) current members,  (b) retired members including flexible retirees or the dependants of former members, and  (c) deferred members in the Local Government Pension Scheme in each scheme administering authority in England as at 31 March 2008 and 31 March 2009, and the net change in the numbers, are given in the following table. It is not possible to identify those that have joined the scheme since 1 April 2008 as these data are not collected.
	
		
			   Data as at 31 March 2008  Data as at 31 March 2009  Difference 
			   Number of contributing members  Pensioners (retired employees (inc flexible retirees)or dependants)  Number of former scheme members entitled to deferred benefits  Number of contributing members  Pensioners (retired employees (inc flexible retirees)or dependants)  Number of former scheme members entitled to deferred benefits  Number of contributing members  Pensioners (retired employees (inc flexible retirees)or dependants)  Number of former scheme members entitled to deferred benefits 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,333 4,216 3,298 5,414 4,340 3,524 81 124 226 
			 Barnet 6,933 5,052 5,443 7,093 6,041 5,812 160 989 369 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 34,681 19,509 20,473 35,264 20,395 22,579 583 886 2,106 
			 Bedfordshire 17,025 10,432 12,122 17,288 10,772 15,825 263 340 3,703 
			 Bexley 4,594 3,569 3,067 4,744 3,727 3,216 150 158 149 
			 Brent 5,849 5,024 5,159 6,075 5,269 5,713 226 245 554 
			 Bromley 4,938 4,123 3,153 5,216 4,271 3,338 278 148 185 
			 Buckinghamshire 19,288 10,778 13,333 19,724 11,428 14,789 436 650 1,456 
			 Cambridgeshire 22,308 11,054 20,620 23,071 11,604 22,780 763 550 2,160 
			 Camden 5,637 5,424 6,392 5,544 5,580 6,784 -93 156 392 
			 Cheshire 31,839 18,558 16,988 32,503 19,011 18,843 664 453 1,855 
			 City of London 3,858 3,027 2,731 3,918 3,091 2,788 60 64 57 
			 Cornwall 15,855 7,815 10,715 16,621 8,229 11,989 766 414 1,274 
			 Croydon 6,367 5,514 4,625 6,636 5,557 5,327 269 43 702 
			 Cumbria 17,057 10,894 9,873 17,695 11,449 10,512 638 555 639 
			 Derbyshire 36,473 19,376 16,445 37,221 20,081 17,331 748 705 886 
			 Devon 36,322 21,230 19,293 38,246 22,171 20,242 1,924 941 949 
			 Dorset 24,246 12,086 11,950 24,652 12,704 13,241 406 618 1,291 
			 Durham 19,249 14,353 7,997 19,297 14,628 9,823 48 275 1,826 
			 Ealing 6,286 5,730 4,511 6,467 5,913 5,752 181 183 1,241 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 35,285 19,078 24,962 35,531 19,839 29,215 246 761 4,253 
			 East Sussex 21,633 13,113 16,138 21,550 13,685 17,357 -83 572 1,219 
			 Enfield 5,771 3,577 3,761 6,015 3,685 4,004 244 108 243 
			 Essex 43,126 27,118 24,994 46,857 28,037 26,272 3,731 919 1,278 
			 Gloucestershire 17,470 9,472 10,523 17,306 9,941 11,850 -164 469 1,327 
			 Greenwich 6,510 5,147 3,594 6,694 5,225 4,584 184 78 990 
			 Hackney 4,291 5,551 6,107 5,447 5,653 6,159 1,156 102 52 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,572 3,813 4,343 4,297 3,904 4,714 -275 91 371 
			 Hampshire 46,218 27,387 30,025 47,417 28,378 33,549 1,199 991 3,524 
			 Haringey 6,954 5,662 5,487 6,814 5,771 6,122 -140 109 635 
			 Harrow 5,483 3,949 4,088 5,065 3,916 4,574 -418 -33 486 
			 Havering 5,803 4,587 3,094 5,723 4,746 3,463 -80 159 369 
			 Hertfordshire 27,464 18,529 20,843 28,610 19,224 22,557 1,146 695 1,714 
			 Hillingdon 6,192 4,663 4,158 6,249 4,834 4,541 57 171 383 
			 Hounslow 5,820 4,621 4,916 5,740 4,820 5,217 -80 199 301 
			 Isle of Wight UA 4,808 2,716 2,955 4,835 2,843 3,327 27 127 372 
			 Islington 5,838 4,850 4,992 5,978 5,107 5,341 140 257 349 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,386 2,100 2,890 3,519 2,162 3,116 133 62 226 
			 Kent 42,077 26,714 23,990 43,385 27,950 26,607 1,308 1,236 2,617 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,298 2,861 2,871 4,332 2,472 3,084 34 -389 213 
			 Lambeth 4,468 6,019 7,309 4,771 6,093 6,238 303 74 -1,071 
			 Lancashire 53,572 33,419 33,905 53,663 34,711 38,199 91 1,292 4,294 
			 Leicestershire 31,782 16,309 17,456 33,097 17,256 18,047 1,315 947 591 
			 Lewisham 6,380 6,005 5,815 6,436 6,085 6,237 56 80 422 
			 Lincolnshire 20,221 11,592 17,831 20,200 12,179 19,831 -21 587 2,000 
			 London Pensions Fund Auth 20,476 32,064 22,037 19,920 32,534 23,138 -556 470 1,101 
			 Merseyside Pension Fund 50,367 39,024 26,328 50,543 39,880 28,108 176 856 1,780 
			 Merton 3,355 2,800 2,548 3,395 2,879 2,679 40 79 131 
			 Middlesbrough UA 26,976 16,101 13,512 25,718 16,736 16,044 -1,258 635 2,532 
			 Newham 6,781 5,713 4,820 6,943 5,904 5,115 162 191 295 
			 Norfolk 25,868 14,714 14,616 27,659 15,457 14,568 1,791 743 -48 
			 North Yorkshire 27,535 12,491 17,246 28,372 13,333 19,953 837 842 2,707 
			 Northamptonshire 20,180 10,477 10,084 20,124 10,946 11,461 -56 469 1,377 
			 Northumberland 9,258 6,077 5,828 9,031 6,312 5,933 -227 235 105 
			 Nottinghamshire 40,408 22,434 24,352 41,409 23,255 26,660 1,001 821 2,308 
			 Oxfordshire 20,307 8,850 11,970 20,859 9,462 13,373 552 612 1,403 
			 Redbridge 5,296 3,692 4,162 5,581 3,793 3,397 285 101 -765 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,253 2,740 3,029 3,364 2,839 3,330 111 99 301 
			 Shropshire 14,975 7,084 8,309 14,846 6,320 9,335 -129 -764 1,026 
			 Somerset 19,841 9,751 10,897 20,092 10,157 12,469 251 406 1,572 
			 South Yorkshire Pension Fund 54,645 32,530 28,679 54,053 34,034 30,903 -592 1,504 2,224 
			 South Yorkshire PTA 534 1,128 555 466 1,184 553 -68 56 -2 
			 Southwark 6,699 5,823 5,608 6,777 6,016 5,752 78 193 144 
			 Staffordshire 37,751 20,265 22,710 38,043 21,599 25,445 292 1,334 2,735 
			 Suffolk 18,299 9,892 10,161 18,796 10,471 13,023 497 579 2,862 
			 Surrey 26,955 16,501 20,451 28,200 17,203 22,400 1,245 702 1,949 
			 Sutton 3,769 2,609 2,536 4,004 2,646 2,786 235 37 250 
			 Tameside 103,172 76,241 69,864 102,016 78,521 76,193 -1,156 2,280 6,329 
			 Tower Hamlets 5,530 3,644 4,508 5,395 3,639 4,847 -135 -5 339 
			 Tyne and Wear Superannuation Fund 48,186 31,890 23,696 50,002 33,024 24,526 1,816 1,134 830 
			 Waltham Forest 6,542 5,531 3,163 6,435 5,650 3,448 -107 119 285 
			 Wandsworth 5,097 4,241 5,548 5,022 4,415 6,072 -75 174 524 
			 Warwickshire 15,775 7,863 7,510 16,569 8,224 8,515 794 361 1,005 
			 West Midlands Pensions Fund 107,845 61,206 66,321 108,224 63,840 70,783 379 2,634 4,462 
			 West Midlands PTA 1,054 3,206 1,058 982 3,270 1,030 -72 64 -28 
			 West Sussex 21,440 12,822 14,667 22,250 13,393 15,802 810 571 1,135 
			 West Yorkshire Superannuation Fund 92,732 57,961 60,382 94,646 60,282 60,459 1,914 2,321 77 
			 Westminster 4,232 4,700 4,895 4,319 4,753 5,073 87 53 178 
			 Wiltshire 19,055 9,530 14,022 19,130 10,066 15,366 75 536 1,344 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 18,324 10,400 13,001 19,409 10,888 14,577 1,085 488 1,576 
			 Worcestershire 20,269 11,606 10,425 20,282 12,184 11,100 13 578 675 
			 England 1,656,341 1,050,217 1,054,733 1,685,096 1,089,886 1,148,629 28,755 39,669 93,896

Mortgage Rescue Scheme

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people resident in each local authority area have  (a) applied for and  (b) received help under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme since the scheme was established.

John Healey: We have acted rapidly to put in place a range of help and support for households struggling with their mortgage at every stage, and launched a campaign to ensure households have clear information about the help available.
	Mortgage Rescue Scheme summary monitoring statistics are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website. Figures can be assessed using the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/mortgagerescuestatistics
	Figures reported by local authorities from January to September 2009 are provided in a table which has been placed in the Library.

Mortgages

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many first time buyers defaulted on their mortgage in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: The Department does not collect information on mortgage possessions and arrears although information for the United Kingdom as a whole is published separately by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). These are not split by whether the borrower was a first time buyer or not.

National Coalfields Programme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent progress has been made on the National Coalfields Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the Homes and Communities Agency's 2008-09 Annual Report and Accounts, which are available in the Library of the House, and can also be found at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/publications

Overcrowded Households

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the overcrowding pathfinders in tackling overcrowding and severe overcrowding.

Ian Austin: Since April 2008, the 54 local authorities in the pathfinder programme have rehoused approximately 30,000 overcrowded households.
	CLG continue to support and monitor pathfinder progress through regular meetings with the National Overcrowding Coordinator.

Sheltered Housing: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Tamworth Borough Council spent on sheltered housing in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: The following table shows the amounts spent by Tamworth borough council on sheltered housing in each of the last three financial years (2006-7; 2007-8; and 2008-9).
	
		
			  Sheltered housing and Alarm call services 
			  £ 
			   Revenue expenditure  Capital expenditure  Total revenue and capital 
			 2006-07 1,035,852.46 32,254.38 1,068,106.84 
			 2007-8 1,064,090.72 42,294.00 1,106,384.72 
			 2008-09 1,045,884.35 113,924.17 1,159,808.52 
			 Three year total 3,145,827.53 188,472.55 3,334,300.08

Smoke Alarms

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to require  (a) local authorities and  (b) registered social landlords to ensure that all of their residential properties have working smoke alarms.

Ian Austin: The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assesses 29 categories of housing hazards, such as excess cold, electrical hazards, falls, fire, explosions etc. It applies to all residential property regardless of tenure. If a local authority considers that there is a serious (Category 1) hazard, it has a duty to take the most appropriate action.
	As far as assessing the risk from fire is concerned, the lack of smoke detectors and or heat detectors, or defective smoke detectors and or heat detectors with alarms are considered relevant matters in an HHSRS assessment.
	In 2001 the Department issued guidance to all local authority housing directors emphasising the importance the government attaches to encouraging the wider provision of smoke alarms in domestic properties.
	More broadly, it has been our policy for some time that smoke alarms have a vital role to play in saving lives as they provide the vital early warning of fire and therefore help people to escape. Since 1987, the Government have conducted high profile national and regional television campaigns promoting smoke alarms which have proved very successful. Ownership has increased from 9 per cent. in 1987 to the current level of 80 pert cent. and we are seeking to raise it further as evidence suggests that those without alarms are often in those groups who are most at risk from fire. The Government are currently running a national media advertisement to promote smoke alarms ownership and maintenance messages.

Vacant Land: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many acres of green space excluding flood plains there are in the Borough of Tamworth.

Ian Austin: The latest figure we have on the amount of green space within the borough of Tamworth, excluding the flood plain, is 2,400 acres. Government do not maintain a comprehensive record of information on green spaces, but this information is available from many local authorities, given their responsibility for the effective planning and management of green spaces. The borough of Tamworth may collect and hold its own information on the quantity of green space in its area.

HEALTH

Abortion

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to address the variation in levels of repeat abortions across England.

Gillian Merron: One of the aims of the Government's Sexual Health and HIV Strategy for England is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. The standard national health service contract for 2009-10 includes a new clause to ensure that abortion providers improve access to the full range of contraception for women undergoing abortion. A specification for abortion services is currently being developed to support implementation of this new requirement.
	The Department has invested £20.5 million in 2009-10 to improve access to contraception to improve all women's knowledge of and access to the full range of contraception and help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortion and repeat abortions. This includes £7 million for a contraceptive choices media campaign and a further £10 million to strategic health authorities (SHAs) for local action.
	Primary care trusts and SHAs were asked to use their funding to improve access to all contraceptive methods to reduce teenage conception, abortion and repeat abortion rates, particularly in areas where teenage pregnancy rates were high. We are actively working with the SHAs to monitor additional spend and share best practice.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it cost his Department to  (a) collect,  (b) process,  (c) collate and  (d) store statistics on abortion in the most recent 12-months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: This information is not collated in the categories requested. Registered medical practitioners are legally required to send a notification to the chief medical officer after each abortion is performed. Information derived from the form is used to monitor compliance with the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, and to compile statistical outputs as appropriate.
	The overall cost to the Department over the last 12 months of issuing, processing and storing the forms, and the provision of statistical outputs is estimated to be £408,670. This figure includes staff, printing and information technology costs.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will rank by mortality rate those accident and emergency departments with annual admissions below 69,000 in the latest year for which information is available.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Bone Marrow Disorders: Donors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on advertising for the recruitment of bone marrow donors in each of the last 12 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of people who were on the Blood Donor Register were also on the Bone Marrow Donor Register on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many registered stem cell donors there were in each year since registration began;
	(4)  what proportion of bone marrow donors were resident in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Scotland in each of the last 12 years.

Gillian Merron: The British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR) is run by the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Bone marrow donors are recruited from the existing pool of blood donors.
	Therefore, the promotion of bone marrow donation is carried out in conjunction with blood donor promotion campaigns. Examples include the NHSBT website,  The Donor magazine, which is sent to 1.4 million donors, and promotional material at blood collection sessions. It is not possible, therefore, to provide an exact figure for the amount spent on advertising exclusively for the recruitment of bone marrow donors.
	Not all of those currently on the British Bone Marrow Register will still be active blood donors, although at the time of joining the BBMR all would have been registered as blood donors. As of September 2009, the estimated figures supplied by NHSBT for bone marrow donors on the blood donor register were:
	
		
			  Region  Number  Percentage 
			 Midlands and South West 93,369 30 
			 Northern 101,548 33 
			 London and South East 92,712 30 
			 Northern Ireland 9,060 3 
			 Scotland 13,823 4.5 
			  Note: Numbers in Wales are not held. 
		
	
	The number of donors on the BBMR for the years 2001-02 to 2008-09 are listed as follows. The totals do not represent the availability of donors as this can fluctuate for many different reasons. We do not have figures for the Welsh Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
	
		
			   Total 
			 2001-02 149,500 
			 2002-03 154,500 
			 2003-04 176,500 
			 2004-05 210,500 
			 2005-06 250,500 
			 2006-07 267,100 
			 2007-08 283,700 
			 2008-09 292,100 
		
	
	In addition to the British Bone Marrow Register, stem cell donations are also sourced from the NHS Cord Blood Bank, which at present has around 13,000 stored umbilical cord blood units.

Bone Marrow Disorders: Donors

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of using DNA swabs to identify matches for bone marrow donors.

Gillian Merron: The British Bone Marrow Registry recruits donors from the blood donor population. The tissue type of a donor is identified through tests carried out on samples collected during blood donation, which is believed to be a more stable medium than DNA swabs. As there is currently no requirement for additional tests such as DNA swabs to be carried out, no such assessment has been made.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of all breast cancer cases were diagnosed through the  (a) non-urgent referral route,  (b) screening and  (c) urgent referral route in (i) England, (ii) each cancer network area and (iii) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The following table provides the most recent statistics for England, and the previous years requested, showing the number of breast cancers diagnosed by cytology and/or histology following breast screening in England:
	
		
			   Cancers diagnosed by cytology and/or histology following breast screening 
			 2003-04 11,277 
			 2004-05 11,966 
			 2005-06 13,524 
			 2006-07 13,443 
			 2007-08 14,110 
		
	
	Information is not centrally held on the number of cancers diagnosed following an appointment at an NHS breast screening service on a primary care trust or network basis.
	However, these statistics are available on a breast screening unit basis; a copy of these statistics has been placed in the Library.
	The NHS Cancer Plan (2000) introduced commitments for waiting times for cancer treatment between referral and first treatment and diagnosis and first treatment, for breast cancer. The statistics used to monitor these commitments indicate the number of patients who were urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner (GP), and those who entered secondary care from another referral source or with a different priority. Only patients who receive first definitive treatment within English NHS providers are included within these statistics.
	For the years 2004-05 to 2008-09 the following table indicates the proportion of patients who received first definitive treatment for breast cancer following an urgent referral for suspected cancer from their GP.
	
		
			   Treated following two week wait  Treated following other referral (including NHS screening programmes)  Total treated  Percentage following two week wait 
			 2004-05 14,575 16,244 30,819 47.3 
			 2005-06 16,635 18,728 35,363 47.0 
			 2006-07 17,610 18,298 35,908 49.0 
			 2007-08 17,602 18,648 36,250 48.6 
			 2008-09 18,045 17,998 36,043 50.1 
			  Source: Department of Health, Cancer Waiting Times Database 
		
	
	The quarterly statistics for this area do not identify individual primary care trusts due to small cell counts. However a table showing equivalent data by NHS provider, with accompanying details of data sources, definitions and calculations, has been placed in the Library.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage of bed occupancy was for patients with breast cancer was in  (a) England,  (b) each cancer network and  (c) each primary care trust area in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The requested information is not centrally held.
	Information is collected annually from national health service providers showing the average daily number of available and occupied beds. However, this is not broken down by specialty. The latest data are for 2008-09 and are published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/index.htm

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were offered breast prostheses following surgery for breast cancer expressed in each cancer network in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of all patients undergoing breast cancer surgery this represented in each case.

Ann Keen: The requested information is not held centrally.

Climate Change

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants from his Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Phil Hope: No Ministers or officials from the Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.

Dental Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department plans to respond to the British Dental Association's proposal for changes to the dental access contract to be introduced on a trial basis.

Ann Keen: On 17 November 2009, primary care trusts (PCTs) were notified of the availability of a template, which has been developed as part of the Department's Dental Access Programme for use in contracting with dental providers for additional national health service primary care dental services. The final version of the template took account of views expressed by the British Dental Association during consultations on its preparation. It is up to individual dental providers to decide if they wish to tender for services provided in accordance with the template. No changes are being imposed on existing providers.
	While the template includes quality standards, in line with the recommendations of the Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England published in June 2009, we will pilot these recommendations carefully before making any substantive proposals to the general dental services contract and the personal dental service contract used in commissioning primary care dental services generally.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department is working actively with its arm's-length bodies, national health service organisations and others including HM Treasury and the Shareholder Executive to implement the recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme. Rather than initiating new projects, in many areas this builds upon significant progress made by the Department and the NHS in recent years.
	For example, NHS Shared Business Services was established in 2005 and is now delivering shared back office services for over 100 NHS organisations.
	Through better collaborative procurement, the NHS has recorded billions of pounds of savings in recent years, including through the Gershon efficiency programme. To ensure continued progress on procurement, a new Department of Health and NHS Commercial Operating Model was launched earlier this year.
	Savings from the areas covered by the Operational Efficiency Programme will contribute to our existing value for money target for the current comprehensive spending review period. The Department's 2009 autumn performance report will be published in December and will include an update on progress towards this target.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many allegations of victimisation for whistleblowing have been made to his Department by its staff since 6 June 2006.

Phil Hope: No allegations of victimisation for whilstleblowing have been made to the Department by its staff.
	The Department revised its whilstleblowing policy in May 2009 to tighten internal processes for handling concerns raised by staff against any breach of the civil service code. It now also includes a process for handling concerns raised with the Department about external organisations or individuals involved in the conduct of our business.

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since 1997; and for what purposes such professional services have been commissioned.

Phil Hope: The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: The Department's two executive agencies and nine of its 10 non-departmental public bodies did not pay any bonuses or incentives to consultants and contractors in the last three years.
	A single bonus payment of £1,000 was made to a contractor in the 2006-07 financial year by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board, which is a non-departmental public body.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what weight of paper his Department recycled in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The tonnage of paper recycled from Department of Health offices is as follows:
	
		
			  Table  1 
			  Year (April to March)  Amount (tonnes) 
			 2005-06 303.85 
			 2006-07 286.70 
			 2007-08 264.03 
			 2008-09 218.20 
		
	
	The data in Table 1 relate only to the Department's core London administrative offices at Richmond House, Wellington House, Skipton House and New Kings Beam House. Figures for our building in Leeds are collected and reported by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Our departmental file store in Nelson, Lancashire, recycled the following amounts:
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Year (April to March)  Amount (tonnes) 
			 2006-07 46 
			 2007-08 48 
			 2008-09 40 
		
	
	Data for Nelson are not available for earlier years.

Departmental Theft

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's officials have  (a) been reprimanded,  (b) had their contract of employment terminated and  (c) been prosecuted for theft of departmental property in each of the last three years; and what items were stolen in each case.

Phil Hope: In the last three years, none of the Department's officials has been reprimanded or had their contracts of employment terminated for theft of departmental property, neither has any departmental official been prosecuted for such a theft or thefts, during that time.

Drugs: Misuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated by the National Treatment Agency for substance misuse to each local authority in the last three years; and how much is planned to be spent on such funding for the next three years.

Gillian Merron: The Department makes allocations of ear-marked funding in the form of the pooled treatment budget (PTB) to primary care trusts to supplement resources identified locally from mainstream budgets for drug treatment. Tables have been placed in the Library showing allocations for each year since 2006-07 and indicative allocations for 2010-11, and in respect only of the young people's PTB indicative allocations for 2011-12 also. Indicative allocations for the adult PTB for next year will be subject to change in the light of 2009-10 performance data submitted to the National Treatment Agency by local drug partnerships. No decision has yet been taken about funding beyond the indicative allocations as noted above.

Eye Tests and Dental Checks

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of providing every person with a free annual  (a) eye test and  (b) dental check in 2009.

Ann Keen: We have made no estimate of the cost of providing everyone with a free annual eye test and free annual dental check.
	The appropriate frequency for sight tests varies according to an individual's age and clinical requirements. Current guidance indicates that for the majority of people aged between 16 and 70 years, the minimum interval between sight tests could be two years. More frequent tests are appropriate for children or those aged 70 and over, or if an individual is at particular risk of eye disease, is concerned that they may have an eye condition, or an optometrist or ophthalmic medical practitioner judges that more frequent tests are clinically necessary.
	The appropriate frequency for dental checks depends upon an individual's oral health status. Guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Dental Recall - recall interval between routine dental examinations, October 2004, available on the NICE website at
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG19/Guidance/pdf/English
	recommends that dentists recall patients at any interval between three months and two years, according to each person's oral health needs.

Eye Tests and Dental Checks

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are entitled to a free annual  (a) eye test and  (b) dental check; how many people received such tests in 2008-09; and what the cost was.

Ann Keen: It is not possible to identify how many people are currently entitled to free national health service sight tests and dental checks. Those groups who are entitled to NHS sight tests (which are available to all individuals within the eligible groups at no charge) or free dental care are summarised in the following table. Statistics are not available on the number of individuals who fall within all of these categories; nor can we identify how many people might be counted within more than one category.
	
		
			  Groups entitled to NHS sight tests  Groups entitled to free NHS dental care 
			 Aged under 16, or aged 16, 17 or 18 in full-time education Aged under 18, or aged 18 in full-time education 
			 Aged 60 or over A woman who is pregnant, or who has had a baby in the 12 months before treatment starts 
			 A diagnosed glaucoma patient, or someone who has been advised by an ophthalmologist that they are at risk of glaucoma, or someone aged 40 or over who is a parent, brother, sister, son or daughter of a diagnosed glaucoma patient A person who is an NHS in-patient whose treatment is carried out by a hospital dentist 
			 A person diagnosed as diabetic (1)A person who is an NHS Hospital Dental Service out-patient 
			 A person who is registered as severely sight-impaired/blind or sight-impaired/partially sighted When the treatment starts or when the charge is made, a person or their partner who is getting: Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Guarantee Credit 
			 A person who needs complex lenses A person who is entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate 
			 A patient whose sight test is carried out through a hospital eye department as part of the management of an eye condition A person who is named on a valid NHS Low Income scheme HC2 certificate 
			 A person who is getting, or whose partner is getting: Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Pension Credit Guarantee Credit  
			 A person who is entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate  
			 A person who is named on a valid NHS Low Income scheme HC2 certificate  
			 (1) There may be a charge for dentures and bridges 
		
	
	In 2008-09 11.3 million NHS sight tests were provided by primary care practitioners within the General Ophthalmic Service in England. This may not fully equate to the number of individuals who received tests, because some people may have had more than one test within the year. Further details including the breakdown of the number of tests according to the category of entitlement recorded for each patient is available in the report General Ophthalmic Service: Activity Statistics for England and Wales Year Ending 31 March 2009 published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. A copy of the report is available at the Information Centre's website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/eye-care/general-phthalmic-services:-activity-statistics-for-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2009
	In 2008-09, 18.4 million courses of dental treatment were provided by NHS primary dental care services in England to patients who qualified for free treatment. This will not equate to the number of individuals who received care because some people will have received more than one course of treatment within the year. Most courses of treatment will have incorporated a dental examination. Further details, including the breakdown of the number of courses of treatment according to the category of entitlement recorded for each patient, is available in the report NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008-09 published by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care. A copy of the Information Centre report has already been placed in the Library.
	The cost of NHS sight tests provided within the General Ophthalmic Service in 2008-09 is estimated at £223 million.
	Since dentists are no longer paid an itemised fee for each element of treatment under the new primary dental service contract arrangements introduced in April 2006, it is not possible to separately identify the cost of dental examinations.

Health: Screening

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for patients to receive the 15 key diagnostic tests in each year since the collection of these data began in 2006.

Mike O'Brien: Average (median) waiting times for the patients waiting for the 15 key diagnostic tests are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Median waiting times for patients waiting for the 15 key diagnostic tests (weeks) March 2006 to September 2009 
			  Time period ending  Median waiting time for 15 diagnostic tests 
			 March 2006 5.8 
			 June 2006 5.4 
			 September 2006 5.2 
			 December 2006 5.5 
			 March 2007 3.9 
			 June 2007 3.4 
			 September 2007 2.8 
			 December 2007 3.0 
			 March 2008 2.1 
			 June 2008 1.7 
			 September 2008 1.6 
			 December 2008 2.2 
			 March 2009 1.7 
			 June 2009 1.7 
			 September 2009 1.6 
			  Note: Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. This should be taken into account when interpreting data.  Source: Department of Health Diagnostic Waiting List Collection DM01

Herbal Medicine

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to collect data on the proportion by value of all medicinal products which are herbal medicinal products; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We have no plans to instigate collection of the data that would be necessary to make such an estimate. Herbal medicinal products are generally sold as non prescription medicines and may be supplied by a wide variety of outlets.

Mental Health Services: South East

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting lists for mental health services in  (a) Milton Keynes and  (b) the South East.

Phil Hope: The planning and development of health services, including metal health services, is a matter for the local national health service.

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the risk-sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs on the availability of other drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, including drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence;
	(2)  when he expects the risk-sharing scheme will be able to demonstrate the value for money of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs;
	(3)  what the cost has been of the risk-sharing scheme for disease-modifying drugs since its inception.

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of progress on the risk-sharing scheme for provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs;
	(2)  what his most recent estimate is of the cost to date of the risk-sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of the scheme over its projected lifespan;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the operation of the risk-sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease-modifying drugs.

Mike O'Brien: While we have made no formal assessment, we consider that it is unlikely the scheme has made any significant impact on the availability of other drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis. The drugs included in the scheme are used within criteria developed by the Association of British Neurologists. The national health service is obliged to fund other drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) within the terms of the appraisal guidance. Natalizumab (Tysabri) is the only other licensed medicine which has an impact on the course of the disease and has been recommended by NICE for use in the NHS.
	Data from the first two years of follow-up of the monitoring cohort of the Multiple Sclerosis Risk Sharing Scheme have been collected and these data have been analysed and interpreted by an independent advisory group. A paper outlining the results is to be published shortly on the  British Medical Journal's website
	www.bmj.com
	We estimate that the costs incurred since the scheme's inception are in the order of £350 million. This figure is made up of £200,000 a year representing the Department's 20 per cent. share of running the contract; an average £35,000 a year to meet the MS Trust's administration costs for the scheme and drug costs of around £50 million a year.

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many packs of the drug Natalizumab, brand name Tysabri, have been issued in each strategic health authority area in each of the last two years.

Mike O'Brien: This drug was not dispensed in the community in 2007 or 2008 but has been used in hospitals. The rate of use by strategic health authority (SHA) is:
	
		
			  Number of packs for Tysabri( 1)  used by each SHA in En g land 
			  Thousand 
			  SHA  2007  2008 
			 North East 0.0 0.4 
			 North West 0.0 0.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber - 0.3 
			 East Midlands 0.0 0.1 
			 West Midlands 0.0 0.2 
			 East of England 0.0 0.2 
			 London 0.1 1.0 
			 South East Coast - 0.0 
			 South Central - 0.1 
			 South West 0.0 0.3 
			 Total 0.2 3.0 
			 (1) A pack is a 15 millilitre vial.  Notes: 1. Where less than 50 packs have been used, the figure has been suppressed to '0.0'. 2. '-' Indicates no use of the drug. 3. Totals may not add due to rounding. 4. IMSHealth do not collect data from all hospitals and there is less than 100 per cent. coverage in some SHAs.  Source: (c) IMS HEALTH: Hospital Pharmacy Audit

National Child Health Immunisation Board

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the minutes of the most recent meeting of the National Child Health Immunisation Board.

Gillian Merron: The National Child Health Immunisation Standards Board last met on 22 April 2009. The draft minutes and a copy of the presentation given at the meeting have been placed in the Library. The board's scheduled meeting in October 2009 was postponed to January 2010 as a result of the introduction of the swine flu vaccination programme. Minutes are usually published after they are agreed at the board's next meeting.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance he has issued to NHS trusts on holding board meetings in public;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that  (a) foundation trusts and  (b) other NHS trusts hold board meetings in public.

Mike O'Brien: The conduct of national health service foundation trust board meetings is a matter for the trust.
	NHS trusts and primary care trusts are expected to follow the model standing orders issued by the Department. These require board meetings to be held in public, although the press and public may be excluded when the board is considering confidential business, where publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest.
	Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) has issued a Code of Governance for NHS foundation trusts. This advises directors of NHS foundation trusts to follow a policy of openness and transparency in their proceedings and decision making, unless this conflicts with a need to protect the wider interest of the public or the trust, including commercial-in-confidence matters.

NHS: Finance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 108W, on NHS: finance, how much will be repaid against each loan in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and  (e) 2014-15.

Mike O'Brien: The Department makes loans to national health services trusts and national health service foundation trusts. The information requested has been placed in the Library.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average speed is of N3 network connections.

Mike O'Brien: There are now over 32,000 live connections to the N3 network, including pharmacies, and the information requested could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The size, and hence speed, of the N3 network connection is adjustable to take into account the systems and services used, and the number of staff employed, at any given national health service location. To exemplify the range of speeds delivered, large acute hospital sites are typically connected to N3 by 100 megabits per second (mbps) Ethernet services. General practitioner practice sites might receive as much as eight mbps, though typically rather less depending, among other factors, on distance from the telephone exchange.

NHS: Manpower

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage an increase in the number of people in the thoracic surgical workforce in the NHS.

Ann Keen: Local national health service organisations are best placed to decide what staff they need to deliver services to best meet the needs of the local populations, whether that is clinical staff such as thoracic surgeons, nurses and doctors, or non-clinical support staff including managers to help plan local services more effectively.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of NHS prescription items attracted a charge in each of the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the number and percentage of prescription items attracting a charge is set out on page 25 of the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care's Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community: Statistics for 1998 to 2008: England, available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/prescriptions/prescriptions-dispensed-in-the-community-statistics-for-1998-to-2008:-england

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to a national non-emergency, three-digit telephone number;
	(2)  how much has been  (a) spent on and  (b) allocated to projects relating to a national non-emergency, three-digit telephone number in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: There are currently 0.5 full-time equivalent members of staff in the Home Office who are involved with working on the policy for the '101' single national non-emergency service as part of their wider work to build public confidence in the police and their partners.
	The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has one member of staff who is responsible for contact management in the police service and their remit would therefore include the 101 single non-emergency service, as part of their wider role.
	The approximate total spent and allocated by the Home Office on projects related to the '101' national non-emergency service in each of the last three years is:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   S pent  A llocated 
			 2008-09 1.1 1 
			 2007-08 12.5 13 
			 2006-07 16.7 31

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions there were for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years from  (a) on-licence and  (b) off-licence premises in each police force area in the south east in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: Data showing the number of males, females and other defendants proceeded against for selling alcohol to persons aged under 18, in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in table 1. The data are broken down by police force area.
	Establishments are included as 'other defendants' as it is not possible to differentiate between sales on and off premises in the court proceedings database.
	Additionally, penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) are available for this offence. Table 2 shows the number of PNDs issued for Sale of alcohol to a person aged under 18 by gender from 2004 to 2007 (latest available).
	Statistics for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	
		
			  Table  1:  Number of males, females and other defendants( 1)  proceeded against at magistrates court for selling alcohol to persons aged under 18( 2) , in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007, broken down by police force area( 3,)( )( 4) 
			  Force  Sex  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset Male 1 - 7 2 - 
			  Female - - 7 3 1 
			  Other defendant 1 - - - - 
			  Total 2 - 14 5 1 
			
			 Bedfordshire Male 1 5 10 23 2 
			  Female 1 2 - 1 - 
			  Other defendant - - -  - 
			  Total 2 7 10 24 2 
			
			 Cambridgeshire Male - 3 6 16 8 
			  Female - 1 3 11 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 4 9 27 10 
			
			 Cheshire Male 8 14 4 6 6 
			  Female 7 6 4 - - 
			  Other defendant 1 - - - - 
			  Total 16 20 8 6 6 
			
			 Cleveland Male 1 6 11 8 8 
			  Female 1 4 3 3 5 
			  Other defendant 2 - - - - 
			  Total 4 10 14 11 13 
			
			 Cumbria Male 1 1 2 1 1 
			  Female - - 6 - - 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 1 1 8 1 1 
			
			 Derbyshire Male 27 18 9 7 6 
			  Female 10 4 4 1 1 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 37 22 13 8 7 
			
			 Devon and Cornwall Male - 7 5 4 3 
			  Female - 5 3 2 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 12 8 6 5 
			
			 Dorset Male 7 6 30 6 2 
			  Female 2 4 5 1 - 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 9 10 35 7 2 
			
			 Durham Male - 2 2 - 1 
			  Female - - - - 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 2 2 - 3 
			
			 Essex Male 4 1 8 14 12 
			  Female 3 1 - 2 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 7 2 8 16 14 
			
			 Gloucestershire Male - 1 4 9 3 
			  Female - - 1 1 - 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 1 5 10 3 
			
			  Male 85 124 81 111 30 
			 Greater Manchester Female 40 55 36 48 5 
			  Other defendant 4 1 - 1 - 
			  Total 129 180 117 160 35 
			
			 Hampshire Male - 6 7 2 4 
			  Female - 3 4 - - 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 9 11 2 4 
			
			 Hertfordshire Male 1 7 3 40 21 
			  Female - 1 - - 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - 1 
			  Total 1 8 3 40 24 
			
			 Humberside Male - 3 2 3 2 
			  Female - 8 - 3 3 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 11 2 6 5 
			
			 Kent Male 9 10 13 2 2 
			  Female 3 3 1 - - 
			  Other defendant - 2 - - - 
			  Total 12 15 14 2 2 
			
			 Lancashire Male 15 14 49 22 24 
			  Female 8 8 40 10 3 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 23 22 89 32 27 
			
			 Leicestershire Male 9 9 21 35 40 
			  Female 6 - 6 10 15 
			  Other defendant - 1 - - - 
			  Total 15 10 27 45 55 
			
			 Lincolnshire Male 9 3 7 5 2 
			  Female 8 1 4 5 1 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 17 4 11 10 3 
			
			 Merseyside Male 25 13 12 12 21 
			  Female 16 6 4 22 7 
			  Other defendant 1 - - - - 
			  Total 42 19 16 34 28 
			
			 Metropolitan Police Male 84 133 223 197 136 
			  Female 13 22 28 24 18 
			  Other defendant 16 12 2 15 22 
			  Total 113 167 253 236 176 
			
			 Norfolk Male 1 6 - - 1 
			  Female - 3 3 - 1 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 1 9 3 - 2 
			
			 North Yorkshire Male 3 16 2 25 16 
			  Female 4 6 1 16 13 
			  Other defendant - - - 27 - 
			  Total 7 22 3 68 29 
			
			 Northamptonshire Male - - 7 11 7 
			  Female - - 4 2 - 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - - 11 13 7 
			
			 Northumbria Male 31 36 65 30 8 
			  Female 7 14 14 10 4 
			  Other defendant - 1 - 1 - 
			  Total 38 51 79 41 12 
			
			 Nottinghamshire Male 5 - 6 26 3 
			  Female 4 - 5 11 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 9 - 11 37 5 
			
			 South Yorkshire Male - 4 11 8 4 
			  Female - 1 7 2 3 
			  Other defendant - - - - 2 
			  Total - 5 18 10 9 
			
			 Staffordshire Male 3 5 14 13 16 
			  Female 5 - 6 10 10 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 8 5 20 23 26 
			
			 Suffolk Male - 1 1 2 - 
			  Female - - 2 2 - 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total - 1 3 4 - 
			
			 Surrey Male 4 9 12 17 3 
			  Female - 1 1 1 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 4 10 13 18 5 
			
			 Sussex Male 7 3 2 23 8 
			  Female 1 1 2 9 3 
			  Other defendant - - - 1 - 
			  Total 8 4 4 33 11 
			
			 Thames Valley Male 2 19 6 28 14 
			  Female 4 8 9 8 6 
			  Other defendant - 1 - - - 
			  Total 6 28 15 36 20 
			
			 Warwickshire Male 19 17 5 2 1 
			  Female 7 9 2 - - 
			  Other defendant 1 - - - - 
			  Total 27 26 7 2 1 
			
			 West Mercia Male 7 3 17 10 5 
			  Female - 1 2 - - 
			  Other defendant - 1 - - - 
			  Total 7 5 19 10 5 
			
			 West Midlands Male 20 34 53 55 40 
			  Female - 11 22 18 16 
			  Other defendant - - 1 1 1 
			  Total 20 45 76 74 57 
			
			 West Yorkshire Male 1 17 9 14 8 
			  Female - 4 6 3 1 
			  Other defendant 1 - - - - 
			  Total 2 21 15 17 9 
			
			 Wiltshire Male 4 5 16 9 5 
			  Female 1 3 7 1 1 
			  Other defendant 1 2 - - - 
			  Total 6 10 23 10 6 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys Male 5 15 4 12 6 
			  Female - 9 2 4 4 
			  Other defendant - - - 2 3 
			  Total 5 24 6 18 13 
			
			 Gwent Male - 8 13 14 8 
			  Female 2 12 3 6 5 
			  Other defendant - - - 1 - 
			  Total 2 20 16 21 13 
			
			 North Wales Male 4 3 8 3 6 
			  Female 3 2 2 1 2 
			  Other defendant - - - - - 
			  Total 7 5 10 4 8 
			
			 South Wales Male 24 27 40 56 22 
			  Female 5 6 15 15 4 
			  Other defendant - 1 - 1 3 
			  Total 29 34 55 72 29 
			
			 England and Wales Male 427 614 807 883 515 
			  Female 161 225 274 266 146 
			  Other defendant 28 22 3 50 32 
			  Total 616 861 1,084 1,199 693 
			 (1) Other defendants include companies and public bodies etc. (2) Includes the following offences: (a) Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises. (b) Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. (c ) Sale of alcohol to person under 18. (d) Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18. (e) Persistently selling alcohol to children. (3) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police force. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit-Office for Criminal Justice Reform Ref: IOS 043-09 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued for sale of alcohol to a person under 18, England and Wales, 2004( 1)  to 2007, broken down by police force area 
			  Force  Sex  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset Male - 29 25 33 
			  Female - 27 29 27 
			  Total - 56 54 60 
			   
			 Bedfordshire Male - 1 6 10 
			  Female - 1 7 3 
			  Total - 2 13 13 
			   
			 Cambridgeshire Male - 8 14 16 
			  Female - 3 15 6 
			  Total - 11 29 22 
			   
			 Cheshire Male - 21 19 19 
			  Female - 28 31 7 
			  Total - 49 50 26 
			   
			 Cleveland Male - 10 10 27 
			  Female - 23 13 38 
			  Total - 33 23 65 
			   
			 Cumbria Male - 10 11 13 
			  Female - 13 10 27 
			  Total - 23 21 40 
			   
			 Derbyshire Male - 5 16 50 
			  Female - 3 14 51 
			  Total - 8 30 101 
			   
			 Devon and Cornwall Male - 32 54 31 
			  Female - 50 61 38 
			  Total - 82 115 69 
			   
			 Dorset Male 13 3 9 20 
			  Female 9 19 20 15 
			  Total 22 22 29 35 
			   
			 Durham Male - - 1 12 
			  Female - - - 13 
			  Total - - 1 25 
			   
			 Essex Male 3 60 42 53 
			  Female 4 60 52 58 
			  Total 7 120 94 111 
			   
			 Gloucestershire Male - 17 28 44 
			  Female - 25 26 42 
			  Total - 42 54 86 
			   
			 Greater Manchester Male - 60 122 98 
			  Female - 67 89 43 
			  Total - 127 211 141 
			   
			 Hampshire Male 1 31 57 114 
			  Female 1 36 52 91 
			  Total 2 67 109 205 
			   
			 Hertfordshire Male - 2 30 46 
			  Female - 1 11 21 
			  Total - 3 41 67 
			   
			 Humberside Male 1 13 22 46 
			  Female 1 32 26 52 
			  Total 2 45 48 98 
			   
			 Kent Male - 8 3 16 
			  Female - 2 2 7 
			  Total - 10 5 23 
			   
			 Lancashire Male 17 95 105 100 
			  Female 13 95 101 90 
			  Total 30 190 206 190 
			   
			 Leicestershire Male 2 22 26 89 
			  Female - 24 33 61 
			  Total 2 46 59 150 
			   
			 Lincolnshire Male - 10 21 15 
			  Female - 16 36 39 
			  Total - 26 57 54 
			   
			 Merseyside Male 2 44 56 72 
			  Female - 29 71 103 
			  Total 2 73 127 175 
			   
			 Metropolitan Police Male 12 113 190 264 
			  Female 9 48 62 77 
			  Total 21 161 252 341 
			   
			 Norfolk Male - - 5 17 
			  Female - - 5 19 
			  Total - - 10 36 
			   
			 Northamptonshire Male 1 15 18 15 
			  Female - 24 16 7 
			  Total 1 39 34 22 
			   
			 Northumbria Male 1 24 47 44 
			  Female - 24 37 23 
			  Total 1 48 84 67 
			   
			 North Yorkshire Male - - 4 8 
			  Female - - 7 17 
			  Total - - 11 25 
			   
			 Nottinghamshire Male 3 54 125 81 
			  Female 6 63 140 87 
			  Total 9 117 265 168 
			   
			 South Yorkshire Male 1 47 76 69 
			  Female 1 60 82 90 
			  Total 2 107 158 159 
			   
			 Staffordshire Male - 6 34 32 
			  Female - 13 41 35 
			  Total - 19 75 67 
			   
			 Suffolk Male - 11 14 7 
			  Female - 8 7 13 
			  Total - 19 21 20 
			   
			 Surrey Male - - 22 57 
			  Female - - 12 15 
			  Total - - 34 72 
			   
			 Sussex Male - 29 116 63 
			  Female - 34 100 56 
			  Total - 63 216 119 
			   
			 Thames Valley Male - 8 59 80 
			  Female - 4 36 51 
			  Total - 12 95 131 
			   
			 Warwickshire Male - 3 1 24 
			  Female - - 4 13 
			  Total - 3 5 37 
			   
			 West Mercia Male 1 4 11 16 
			  Female - 18 23 20 
			  Total 1 22 34 36 
			   
			 West Midlands Male 2 69 83 90 
			  Female 4 45 60 45 
			  Total 6 114 143 135 
			   
			 West Yorkshire Male 4 32 64 97 
			  Female - 40 41 64 
			  Total 4 72 105 161 
			   
			 Wiltshire Male - 5 9 15 
			  Female - 3 9 9 
			  Total - 8 18 24 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys Male - 6 5 9 
			  Female - 12 4 11 
			  Total - 18 9 20 
			   
			 Gwent Male - 9 27 37 
			  Female - 11 23 34 
			  Total - 20 50 71 
			   
			 North Wales Male 1 20 41 29 
			  Female - 38 42 34 
			  Total 1 58 83 63 
			   
			 South Wales Male - 70 67 28 
			  Female - 53 50 25 
			  Total - 123 117 53 
			   
			 England and Wales Male 62 1,006 1,695 2,006 
			  Female 51 1,052 1,500 1,577 
			  Total 113 2,058 3,195 3,583 
			 (1) This PND offence was added to the scheme on 1 November 2004.

Asylum

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of  (a) Afghanistan,  (b) Belarus,  (c) Burma,  (d) the People's Republic of China,  (e) Colombia,  (f) Cuba,  (g) Democratic Republic of Congo,  (h) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,  (i) Iran,  (j) Iraq,  (k) Israel,  (l) the Palestinian Territories,  (m) Pakistan,  (n) the Russian Federation,  (o) Saudi Arabia,  (p) Somalia,  (q) Sudan,  (r) Syria,  (s) Turkmenistan,  (t) Uzbekistan,  (u) Vietnam and  (v) Zimbabwe were refused asylum in the UK in each month of (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009 to date; and how many in each category (A) are awaiting a decision on an asylum application and (B) have been forcibly deported.

Phil Woolas: Table 1 placed in the House Library shows the number of principal applicants refused asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave at initial decision in the UK in each month of 2007, 2008 and from January to June for 2009 for the requested nationalities. Information on asylum applications of those refused and awaiting a decision or who have been forcibly deported, by nationality, is unavailable and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost. Table 2 placed in the House Library shows the number of removals and voluntary departures of principal asylum cases, January 2007 to June 2009.
	Information on immigration and asylum is published annually and quarterly. The latest statistics for Q3 2009 will be available on 26 November 2009. Annual statistics for 2008 and the latest statistics for Q2 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum: Democratic Republic of Congo

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many allegations his Department has received of ill-treatment of asylum seekers returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the last four years; and how many investigations his Department has carried out into such allegations in each such year.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 23 November 2009
	 The UK Border Agency does not record the number of allegations of ill treatment on return to countries of origin. When specific allegations are made that a returnee to the Democratic Republic of Congo, or any other country, has experienced ill-treatment on return from the UK, then these are investigated.

Borders: Personal Records

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the governance structures for the e-borders programme.

Phil Woolas: The e-Borders governance structures were assessed in February 2009 following an Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Programme health check. Progress was then reviewed in May 2009 for the subsequent (OGC) Gateway 4 review, and then again in September 2009. The structures are under continuous review to ensure delivery of the e-Borders solution.

Child Migrant Programme

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether children sent to Australia under the Child Migrant Programme are entitled to  (a) UK citizenship and  (b) unrestricted access to the UK.

Phil Woolas: Those sent to Australia from the United Kingdom under the Child Migrant Scheme are assumed to have been born in the United Kingdom. As such they will hold British citizenship and have a right of abode in the United Kingdom. This means that they can have access to British passports and consular services, and have the right to enter, live and work in the United Kingdom without restriction.

Crimes of Violence

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) violent and  (b) non-violent crimes committed in (i) urban and (ii) rural areas in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The available information relates to offences recorded by the police in England and Wales and is given in the table. Forces have been classified as urban or rural in accordance with 'A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods' (ACORN) guidance as used in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/02 entitled 'Rural Crime in England and Wales'.
	In addition to those forces classified as urban or rural, those forces classified as 'middling' have also been included in the table for completeness.
	
		
			  Offences recorded by the police in England and Wales-2006-07 to 2008-09 
			  Number of offences 
			   Violence against the person  Other offences  All offences 
			  2006-07
			 Urban(1) 574,526 2,481,410 3,055,936 
			 Rural(2) 153,137 618,554 771,691 
			 Middling(3) 302,372 1,221,154 1,523,526 
			 Total 1,030,035 4,321,118 5,351,153 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Urban(1) 523,243 2,260,520 2,783,763 
			 Rural(2) 138,539 567,722 706,261 
			 Middling(3) 283,792 1,109,482 1,393,274 
			 Total 945,574 3,937,724 4,883,298 
			 
			  2008-09
			 Urban(1) 496,442 2,143,503 2,639,945 
			 Rural(2) 128,751 541,891 670,642 
			 Middling(3) 262,749 1,064,265 1,327,014 
			 Total 887,942 3,749,659 4,637,601 
			 (1) Comprises the police force areas of Cheshire, City of London, Cleveland, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Metropolitan Police, Merseyside, Northumbria, Nottinghamshire, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, West Midlands, West Yorkshire. (2) Comprises the police force areas of Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Wales, North Yorkshire, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire. (3) Comprises the police force areas of Avon and Somerset, Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Dorset, Essex, Gwent, Hampshire, Humberside, Kent, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Sussex, Thames Valley, Warwickshire.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: Display energy certificates (DEC) were introduced in 2008. OGC publish central Government Departments' display energy certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level twice a year. The most recent data for the Home Office, published on 31 July 2009, which include DEC ratings up to and including 28 February 2009 can be seen via this link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Feb09.xls
	This information covers one Home Office Building, 16 UK Border properties and eight Identity and Passport Service buildings.
	Data to October 2008 can be seen via this link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Oct08.xls
	Data relating to the month ending 30 September 2009 will be published on 18 December 2009.

Departmental Security

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security passes his Department has issued in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide figures for each of the past five years because the security pass database is regularly refreshed and does not retain details of deleted security passes issued for the core Home Office at 2 Marsham street. There are currently 8,551 active security passes for 2 Marsham street. This figure includes permanent core Home Office staff and contractors, temporary passes issued to visitors to the building and other HMG staff, many of whom are not permanently based at Marsham street.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were issued to students of each nationality in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the immigration statistics due to be published on 26 November. The hon. Member may also wish to refer to the annual visa statistics already published on our Visa Services website at
	www.ukvisas.gov.uk
	Reliable information on student visa applications for 1997 is not available.

Gurkhas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an estimate of the number of Gurkha ex-servicemen who retired prior to 1 July 1997 likely to settle in Nepal if they were to receive a pension on terms equivalent to those of the armed forces pension scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 23 November 2009
	 No such estimates have been made on the numbers of those opting to remain in Nepal rather than settle in the United Kingdom if, having retired from the Brigade of Gurkhas prior to 1997, they were to receive a pension on the same terms as those on the armed forces pension scheme.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to bring forward proposals for restrictions on the level of fines imposed by private vehicle immobilisation companies.

Alan Campbell: Under proposals contained in the Crime and Security Bill, laid before Parliament on 20 November, we plan to amend the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to introduce a requirement for all vehicle immobilisation businesses to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority and to adhere to a strict code of practice, when working on private land. The code will include restrictions on release fees and will regulate other aspects of the practices of vehicle immobilisation businesses.
	More details of the Bill can be found at the following link:
	www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimeandsecuritybill/

Intelligence Services: European Convention on Human Rights

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure compatibility between the work of those intelligence services for which the Secretary of State is responsible and the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

David Hanson: The Home Secretary is accountable to Parliament for the activities of the Security Service.
	The Service, unlike the police, has no powers of arrest or detention. It has no intrinsic powers of search or seizure of property. Its functions are governed by the Security Service Act 1989. That Act together with the Intelligence Services Act 1994 and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 provides a firm statutory framework within which the Security Service operates. All work of the Service is undertaken in accordance with the law, including the European Convention of Human Rights as incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998.
	Authorisations for operational activities are subject to independent oversight by the Intelligence Services, or Interception, Commissioner to ensure that any conduct is lawful, and proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by that conduct.
	Security Service operational guidance is kept under regular review. Any change to that guidance is submitted to the Home Secretary for approval.

Local Authorities: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department provided to local authorities in 2009-10; how much it expects to provide in 2010-11 by  (a) programme,  (b) funding stream and  (c) grant; what the nature and purpose of such funding was in 2009-10; and what mechanism was used for the allocation of funds between local authorities.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office (including UKBA) has provided the following funding to local authorities during 2009-10. Details of the grant stream, and the purpose of each are included.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Grant stream name  Grant stream purpose  Budget  Total spend to date 
			 Victims and Witness Champions The role of the champions will be to promote the needs of antisocial behaviour victims and coordinate local services to ensure victims receive the support and information they want and need. 150 0 
			 Private Space Violence Fund The grant stream covers a number of local initiatives to tackle domestic violence. This ranges from providing support to voluntary organisations, holding awareness raising conferences, improving data collection, and starting perpetrator programmes. 3,500 72 
			 National Support Network To strengthen the effectiveness of local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) and Community safety Partnerships (CSPs)to respond to local concerns and deliver national priorities. 1, 000 0 
			 Young People Substance Misuse Partnership Grant To contribute towards the non ring fenced area based grant. It acts as an important lever for increasing the priority given to young people and drugs by drugs action teams and local authorities 15,392 0 
			 Drugs Intervention programme To integrate measures for directing adult drug-misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment. Payments to drug action teams 88,400 43,558 
			 Place Based Support Fund (including vigilance grant) To fund a strategic programme of support for local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) or Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) in Wales. Funding aims to enable partnerships to improve public confidence in the work they do and ultimately reduce crime. 2,500 213 
			 Safer Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF) To provide opportunities for people to work more closely with the police and other authorities in their neighbourhoods to create safer communities. (Resource) 61,147 19,135 
			 Safer Stronger Communities Fund (SSCF) To provide opportunities for people to work more closely with the police and other authorities in their neighbourhoods to create safer communities. (Capital) 18,872 9,436 
			 
			 NCJG Coordinator Allocation Work Priorities Allocation ASB Victims and Witnesses Allocation Taking forward Neighbourhood Justice activities in 60 areas across the country. This includes improving the local public offer in terms of: 4,595 263 
			  One dialogue with the public on crime, policing and justice   
			  Services delivering on their public commitments/minimum standards e.g. Policing Pledge, Victims Code, Witness Charter etc   
			  Much increased public awareness of consequences for offenders, particularly Community Payback and publicising sentencing outcomes   
			  Access to the Community Crime Fighters programme   
			 
			 OSCT Prevent: Social Research To fund research identified by Prevent SBSR Team as essential to the development of a sound evidence base for strategy and policy in managing extremism in prisons 31 31 
			 OSCT Protect-Crowded Places To reduce the vulnerability of high to medium-high sites in England and Wales 5,500 0 
			 OSCT Prevent: Identification and Referral -Objectives 2 and 3 15 projects lead by GO'S, local authorities and voluntary organisations in support of prevent objectives 2 and 3 490 10 
			 Local Consortia Enabling Grants Enabling Grants L SE, SWW, MIDS, Sc and NI, NE and NW, Yorkshire and Humberside provide support to organisations for the coordination and provision of advice, support and services for all migrants. 1, 570 785 
			 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) UASC Grants- England, Scotland  Wales Funding provided to local authorities as required under statute to contribute towards costs incurred by each authority 127,000 66,855 
			 Leaving Care Grants Leaving Care Grants - Funding provided to local authorities as required under statute to contribute towards costs incurred by each authority 17,200 8,600 
			 Treasury Invest to Save Budget (ISB) Support for the Changing Community in Crewe - aims to co-ordinate an improved response to the needs of the migrant worker population and reduce the additional stress on service providers at a District and County level. 51 0 
		
	
	The total expenditure to date includes payments made up to the end of September 2009. Where no expenditure to date has occurred, this will be due to a variety of reasons, including:
	1. Grant stream recently agreed, therefore no payments have yet been made
	2. Grant recipient has not provided evidence of expenditure incurred, therefore no payments to date occurred
	The Home Office has not yet finalised expected provision (by programme, funding stream, or grant) for 2010-11 to this level of detail. However, the Home Office has announced funding for area based grant across the entire spending review, comprising:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Safer Stronger Communities Fund (Resource) 61,146,931 
			 Young People Substance Misuse Partnership Grant 15,392,326 
		
	
	The Home Office adopts a variety of mechanisms by which to determine the allocation to each local authority. In relation to grants, there are the following mechanisms:
	Formula based (e.g. Safer Stronger Communities Fund)-each local authority has a pre-determined allocation based upon a formula that ensures a commensurate allocation throughout the country
	Bid based-all local authorities are entitled to bid for funding as per the business plan that they provide. These bids are then considered, and assessed against criteria such as value for money and allocations determined accordingly.
	Funding pot availability-a specific maximum amount per grant is set, and each local authority may submit a bid within that maximum ceiling.
	Fixed rate basis (e.g. UASC-Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers Children)-the grant payable to local authorities is on a fixed rate (e.g. per UASC per night), with many authorities having different grant rates, according to their numbers of UASC and individual circumstances.
	Fixed rate once specified thresholds exceeded (e.g. Leaving Care grant)-paid to local authorities, at a rate of £100 per week per former UASC aged over 18, after the first 25 cases have been discounted.

National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse: Finance

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department has provided to the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse in 2009-10; and what funding it expects to provide in 2010-11.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has provided total funding allocations of £3,132,000 to the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) for 2009-10.
	The total amount consists of £2,132,000 core funding to the NTA for the delivery of the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP), and project management funding of £1,000,000 to support pilot areas within the Drug System Change Pilots programme.
	Decisions about 2010-11 allocations will be made later in the year.
	 Source
	Home Office Accounting System

Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to undertake a review of the accreditation arrangements for institutions wishing to bring international students to the UK.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 24 November 2009
	 Each of our approved accreditation bodies was initially approved for a period of two years. Accreditation UK, British Accreditation Council (BAC) and Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) are now due for re-approval. All accreditation bodies are subject to ongoing monitoring to ensure that they meet our requirements throughout the period of approval.
	We have been reviewing, with Ofsted, our approval criteria. While we finalise the framework against which the three accreditation bodies will be re-assessed for approval, UKBA continues to work with each of its approved accreditation bodies to ensure standards are maintained.

Police

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consideration he has given to the use of private policing services by local authorities and residents.

David Hanson: There are no official private policing services. Communities should have the confidence that the police will be there for them when they need it. Public confidence that the police and local council are dealing with the crime and antisocial behaviour that matters locally is improving (from 45 per cent in March 2008 to 50 per cent in the latest figures to June 2009).
	In December 2008 we introduced the Policing Pledge in England and Wales which sets out the minimum standards of service that the public can expect to receive from the police including for response times, visibility, and access. We have also invested heavily to ensure that all neighbourhoods now have a dedicated and named Neighbourhood Policing team.
	It is up to the public and local authorities to decide if they wish to spend money on private security. Private security guards have no more powers than any other citizen except when they are accredited under Community Safety Accreditation Schemes (CSAS). CSAS is a scheme which allows Chief Officers to designate limited powers to employees of organisations which contribute towards community safety and tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) such as park wardens, train operators and private security guards. These powers enhance the contribution of people in roles that are already concerned with keeping communities safe, and mean that there are more people on the streets with powers to tackle and not tolerate ASB.

Police: Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of  (a) police officers and  (b) civilian police force staff earn more than £50,000 per annum.

David Hanson: This information is not held centrally. Information on remuneration disclosure is provided by police authorities in their annual statements of accounts.

Police: Performance Standards

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the average  (a) target and  (b) actual police response time to violent crime in (i) urban and (ii) rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Policing Pledge, which was introduced across all police forces in England and Wales at the end of 2008, sets out the minimum standards of service that the public can expect to receive from the police including for response times. Through the Pledge, the police have committed to aim to answer 999 calls within 10 seconds, deploying to emergencies immediately, giving an estimated time of arrival and reaching the incident as safely and as quickly as possible. In urban areas, they aim to arrive within 15 minutes and in rural areas within 20 minutes.
	The Home Office does not collect data centrally on average response times to specific crime types. However, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary recently published their report on the current standard of pledge delivery across all police forces. The report notes that
	in responding to calls, forces generally achieve good performance but, in some very rural areas, responding in 20 minutes is challenging.
	It is for individual police forces and authorities to ensure delivery of the Policing Pledge in their area. The Government will hold forces to account for progress through the single top-down target we have set them to improve public confidence that crime and anti-social behaviour are being tackled locally, and in the light of inspection work by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Police: Public Order Units

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have public order units or branches; and how many staff are working in each such unit or branch.

David Hanson: All police forces in England and Wales have a resource to deal with incidents involving public order. The staffing of such units would be the responsibility of the chief officer concerned for each force.

Police: Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers there were in Sussex in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The available data are provided in the table.
	This and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police officer and PCSO strength( 1)  in Sussex, as at 31 March, 2005 to 2009 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   Police officer  PCSO 
			 2009 3,196 399 
			 2008 3,075 372 
			 2007 3,113 352 
			 2006 3,127 257 
			 2005 3,094 228 
			 (1) Figures include police officers and PCSOs on career break or maternity/paternity leave.

Safer Schools Partnerships

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of safer schools partnerships; and how many such partnerships are structured on the basis of a full-time officer based within a secondary school or college.

Alan Campbell: A survey of the number of Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) in England was carried out this summer following publication of guidance in May 2009 which tightened the definition of an SSP. The results of this survey are currently being verified by the Association of Chief Police Officers and therefore are not yet available.
	Information on how many partnerships are structured on the basis of a full-time officer is not collected centrally.

Sponsor Register

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which institutions  (a) have had an application to join the sponsor register refused and  (b) have been removed from the register of licensed sponsors since 31 March 2009.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 24 November 2009
	This question cannot be answered due to the commercial sensitivity of the information requested.
	The number of institutions that have had an application to join the sponsor register refused between 31 March 2009 and 23 November 2009 is 1,080.
	The number of sponsors removed from the sponsor register between 31 March 2009 and 23 November 2009 is 30.
	Figures are rounded to nearest five.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Student Visitors

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria students who are travelling to the UK to study for a period of less than 26 weeks must meet to be permitted to enter the UK under the student visitor route as an alternative to entering under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system.

Phil Woolas: The criteria for those wishing to seek entry as a student visitor are set out in paragraph 56K of the Immigration Rules and paragraph 2.14 of the Immigration Directorate Instructions. This category allows those who wish to come to the United Kingdom as a visitor to undertake a short period of study which will be completed within the period of their leave. In order to qualify student visitors must be coming to an institution that is either the holder of a sponsor licence for Tier 4 of the points based system or accredited by a UKBA approved accreditation body. Those attending an overseas higher education institution that offer part of their programmes in the United Kingdom may also seek entry under this route providing the overseas institution hold their own national accreditation and offer programmes that are of an equivalent level to a United Kingdom degree.
	Student visitors are not permitted to undertake paid or unpaid work placements as part of the course, nor are they permitted to take part-time employment. Six months is the maximum time a student visitor may stay in the United Kingdom and applications for either leave to enter or remain beyond that period would fall to be refused.

Students Visas

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visa applications have been  (a) granted and  (b) refused in Pakistan since the introduction of the Tier 4 immigration rules; and what the average time from submission of application to decision has been in each month since the rules were introduced.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 24 November 2009
	As of 30 September, the number of student visa applications lodged in Pakistan under Tier 4 of the Points Based System that had been  (a) successful and  (b) refused were 5,906 and 3,517, respectively.
	Information about the performance of our visa application centres against target visa application processing times in each quarter is available on our Visa Services website:
	www.ukvisas.gov.uk
	Processing times in Islamabad for Tier 4 applications has been as follows:
	
		
			  Processing time- tier four application: Islamabad 
			  Percentage 
			   15 days  30 days 
			 April to June 2009 58 95 
			 July to September 2009 92 93

Terrorism Act 2000

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) stopped,  (b) detained and  (c) arrested under Schedule 7 (Port and Border Controls) to the Terrorism Act 2000 since 2004; and how many of those were subsequently convicted of a terrorist offence.

David Hanson: The use of Schedule 7 powers of examination is an important tool in countering terrorism and those who would seek to do harm to the UK and its interests. Terrorists often need to travel across borders to plan, prepare and initiate their acts and these powers are essential in identifying those individuals.
	Examinations for longer than one hour are recorded centrally; there were over 10,400 examinations in the period between 1 January 2004 and 30 September 2009.
	Of these 1,110 persons were detained under the examining officer powers in Schedule 7 and 8 for the same period.
	There were 99 arrests of persons examined under Schedule 7 during this period for terrorism related offences, of which 17 were initially charged in relation to offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 31 were charged with other terrorist related offences.
	Of those charges there were 43 convictions. Some individuals will have been charged with more than one offence or had a charge varied later on advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.
	The powers contained in Schedule 7 are kept under scrutiny by the noble Lord Carlile of Berriew, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. Lord Carlile has commented and made recommendations as to the use of these powers but has consistently found the powers to be necessary and proportionate.

UK Border Agency

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to paragraph 27 of the letter of 19 October 2009 from the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency to the Home Affairs Committee, which areas of business have been asked to review their files; what advice has been given to businesses in each such area on such reviews; in how many cases in each area of business no record has been found of an individual having left the country in the circumstances set out in the letter; and what assessment he has made of the findings of such reviews.

Phil Woolas: Lin Homer, chief executive of the UK Border Agency, will update the Home Affairs Select Committee in January 2010 with further information on the progress on the 40,000 older, archived non-asylum files referred to in the last update.

UK Border Agency

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the letter of 19 October 2009 from the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency to the Home Affairs Select Committee, what estimate has been made of the number of non-archived non-asylum cases in respect of which an application has been dealt with but where there is no formal record of an individual having left the country; what criteria are used in the archiving of such files; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Lin Homer, the chief executive of the UK Border Agency, will update the Home Affairs Select Committee in January 2010 with further information on the progress on the 40,000 older, archived non-asylum files, which are files and not people, referred to in the last update.

UK Border Agency

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids UK Border Agency officials conducted in each region in 2008.

Phil Woolas: In 2008, the UK Border Agency carried out the following numbers of enforcement operations in each region:
	
		
			   Number 
			 London and South East 6,968 
			 Midlands and East of England 2,220 
			 North East, Yorkshire and Humberside 2,015 
			 North West 1,260 
			 Scotland and Northern Ireland 948 
			 Wales and South West 1,300 
			 Total 14,711 
		
	
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.

Warehouse Parties

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of illegal raves which have taken place in the Milton Keynes local authority area in each of the last five years; and how many  (a) crimes and  (b) accidents arising from such events were reported in that period.

Alan Campbell: Thames Valley police have informed me that there have been three events which they classified as illegal raves over the last four years and that no crimes were reported or investigated regarding offences of damage or assault at these events. Several arrests were made for drugs related offences. The police do not hold information on accidents.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equalities and Human Rights Commission

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission concerning transparency in respect of  (a) opening the Commission's board meetings to the public and  (b) publication of the Commissioners' register of interests; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Transparency and openness are matters of great importance to the Equality and Human Rights Commission Board. This reflected in their new Governance Framework adopted earlier this year. Commissioners have already agreed to consider at their board meeting in December proposals for increasing its accessibility to the public and for making its register of interests publicly available.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Carers

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in how many households in North East Milton Keynes constituency a child under the age of 18 years fulfils the role of a carer for a disabled parent.

Dawn Primarolo: Precise local and national data on the number of children under the age of 18 years caring for a disabled parent is not collected centrally.

Class Sizes

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average class size of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in (i) Lewes constituency, (ii) Sussex and (iii) England and Wales was in each year since 1997.

Diana Johnson: The information available is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and state funded secondary( 1)  schools-Classes as taught( 2, 3) -Years: position in January in each year coverage-England 
			1998  2001  2005  2009 
			  Maintained primary schools:  
			 Lewes Average class size 27.9 27.7 26.0 26.9 
			  Total number of classes 215 214 215 200 
			  Total number of pupils 6,000 5,920 5,590 5,380 
			   
			 East Sussex Average class size 28.3 28.2 27.6 27.2 
			  Total number of classes 1,260 1,250 1,236 1,184 
			  Total number of pupils 35,660 35,240 34,160 32,200 
			   
			 England Average class size 27.7 26.7 26.2 26.2 
			  Total number of classes 146,425 150,583 146,860 142,920 
			  Total number of pupils 4,054,800 4,014,110 3,851,810 3,746,270 
			   
			  All state funded secondary schools:  
			 Lewes Average class size 21.6 22.9 23.2 23.5 
			  Total number of classes 202 226 205 183 
			  Total number of pupils 4,360 5,170 4,760 4,300 
			   
			 East Sussex Average class size 21.4 22.3 21.8 21.6 
			  Total number of classes 1,103 1,178 1,243 1,202 
			  Total number of pupils 23,610 26,250 27,110 25,960 
			   
			 England Average class size 21.7 22.0 21.6 20.6 
			  Total number of classes 131,597 138,021 144,940 148,410 
			  Total number of pupils 2,859,620 3,038,760 3,137,030 3,064,190 
			 (1) Includes CTCs and Academies. (2) One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January. 3. Includes middle schools as deemed.  Source:  School Census

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: Since the start of the current contract for provision on 1 April 2009 (and thus from when figures are available) the proportions of UK production of the categories in question up to 31 October 2009 are:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  (a) Lamb 34.02 
			  (b) Beef 86.44 
			  (c) Chicken 75.29 
			  (d) Pork 82.53 
			  (e) Turkey 100.00 
			  (f) Other meats (1)8.66 
			  (g) Fresh fruit and vegetables 40.60 
			 (1) Including sausages and burgers. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide separate figures for fruit and vegetables.

Departmental Plants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent by his Department on  (a) cut flowers and  (b) pot plants since February 2009.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has spent a total of £5,265 on potted plants since February 2009. There has been nil expenditure on cut flowers during this period.

Education: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which qualifications have been accredited for the 2009-10 academic year; if he will estimate for each qualification the proportion of the final mark which is to be based on teacher assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) lists all currently accredited qualifications from entry level to level 8. As of 19 November 2009, 9,748 qualifications are listed. Further details of these qualifications can be found online:
	http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.asp
	The Section 96 page of the DCSF website
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/section96
	provides a link to the list of qualifications the Secretary of State has approved to be delivered in maintained schools, and for under 19-year olds in further and work-based education and training. Approximately 7,500 qualifications are currently listed. The methods of assessment vary according to the qualification and could only be provided for each qualification at disproportionate cost.

History: Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of students in year nine who were not taught history in that year in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2008 and  (c) the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: History is a statutory subject for all pupils to the end of key stage 3, normally school year nine. We do not have an estimate of the proportion of students in year nine not taught history.

Schools: Sports

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which sport has the highest rate of participation for females in schools.

Iain Wright: The Department's annual PE and Sport Survey collects data from maintained schools in England and relate to the range and type of sporting activities that schools provide for their pupils. However, at the moment, it does not break this down by pupils' gender. We are proposing to make changes to the survey from next year which will enable us to show this information broken down by gender.

Social Services: Haringey

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken in response to the Ofsted joint area review of Haringey council's children's services held in July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 23 November 2009
	In June 2009 Ofsted carried out a further inspection of Haringey's safeguarding services to assess progress following the joint area review (JAR) report of December 2008. Ofsted's subsequent report made clear that the leadership and management team in Haringey had made progress in a number of important areas, but it highlighted issues relating to front line practice that needed prioritising. The Secretary of State met with the leadership of the council to discuss the report and subsequently wrote to the council on 3 July. In his letter to the council, he made clear that Haringey must prioritise improving standards of front-line practice and supervision and that Haringey's plans must be kept under vigilant review with progress accelerated to keep children safe. He explained that Peter Lewis' monthly reports, alongside the rigorous monitoring the Department has put in place and the independent scrutiny of the LSCB, would be used to ensure that all partners keep focused on the priorities identified in Ofsted's report. He has asked Ofsted to conduct a further progress inspection before the end of January 2010, at which point he will decide whether any further action is needed to keep children safe in Haringey.

Teachers: Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid in salary and wage costs for teachers and teaching staff in maintained schools in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the proportion paid to such staff who earn more than £50,000 per annum.

Vernon Coaker: The available information on how much was paid in salary and wage costs for teachers and teaching staff in maintained schools in 2007-08 for England was £17,521,117,000. The Department estimates that there were approximately 28,000 teachers earning more than £50,000 per annum in England costing in total £1,665,021,000. This makes up 9.5 per cent. of the total spend on teaching staff.
	 Notes:
	1. The source of the salary information is the Database of Teacher Records (DTR) and is provisional.
	2. Overall teacher numbers from the Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies, 618g were apportioned by the information from the DTR to provide the estimate of the numbers of teachers receiving these salaries and the salaries given by multiplying this by the average salary over £50,000 from the DTR.
	3. The total spend on teaching staff is taken from the Section 52 Outturn statements 2007-08.
	4. It includes teachers employed directly by the school; including supernumerary/peripatetic teachers on short-term contracts and covers expenditure on salaries and wages consisting of gross pay, including bonus and allowances, maternity pay and the employer's contributions to national insurance and superannuation plus threshold payments and other payments relating to teacher pay reforms.
	5. These figures are in cash and rounded to nearest £1,000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burundi: Overseas Aid

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what level of support, and in which sectors, his Department intends to provide to Burundi in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently providing £10 million a year to Burundi. Our current strategy for support to the country covers the period from 2008 to 2011. Because Burundi is still recovering from 13 years of conflict, DFID support is focused on helping the country rebuild its health, education and justice systems. The budget allocation is:
	£6 million for the social sectors including £4 million for essential medicine. DFID is also supporting our partners in building schools, providing free textbooks and improving the standard of secondary education.
	£2 million for justice to build accountable systems for public financial management and prepare for free and fair elections in 2010. This includes providing legal aid to vulnerable citizens and raising awareness about governance issues.
	£2 million for humanitarian support to care for returning refugees, orphans and vulnerable children.
	In 2010 DFID will review this and future support to the country with the Government of Burundi and other partners. Future support will also be made in light of the broader UK Government Corporate Spending Review and planning for the period 2011 to 2013.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not plan to host any Christmas parties in 2009.

Departmental Air Travel

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many domestic flights within Great Britain officials from his Department took in an official capacity in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse such flights were taken.

Douglas Alexander: This information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
	All travel by civil servants at the Department for International Development (DFID) is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Civil Service Management Code and staff handbooks.

Departmental Assets

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assets of his Department are planned to be sold in each year from 2009-10 to 2013-14; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; what the expected revenue from each such sale is; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has no plans at present to sell any of its property, whether in the UK or overseas between 2009-10 and 2013-14.
	DFID may, however, dispose of assets such as vehicles or equipment as these reach the end of their useful lives. In such cases, disposals will be immaterial (substantially written down against book value) and carried out in line with DFID procedures. We are unable to provide budgeted figures without incurring disproportionate cost, as this information is not held centrally.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efficiency savings projects his Department put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed to deliver savings in administrative costs of £4 million in 2008-09, £8 million in 2009-10 and £12 million in 2010-11, including through Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) related projects. This commitment is part of DFID's overall value for money (VFM) programme.
	Delivery against 2008-09 targets was reported in DFID's 2009 annual report. The report is available at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Annual-report/Annual-Report-2009/
	A further progress report will be included in the forthcoming autumn performance report.
	DFID is planning further efficiency savings in areas identified by the OEP, which will contribute to the £9 billion to be delivered across Government in the next spending review period.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/policy/publicsectorfood/awareness.htm
	The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.
	The report indicates that overall proportion of domestically produced food procured by the Department for International Development (DFID) in 2007-08 was 55 per cent. DFID actively encourages the provision of fair trade or other ethically trading standards produced items which will normally be imported.
	DEFRA intends to publish the report covering the year from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 shortly.

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) cost and  (b) purpose of legal representation and advice sought by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies was in each year since May 1997.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development uses a number of sources of legal expertise in both the UK and overseas. Records are available for full expenditure only from 2003-04. DFID does not maintain central records of the purpose of each piece of legal representation and advice.
	
		
			  Expenditure 
			   Cost (£) 
			 2003-04 855,996 
			 2004-05 721,927 
			 2005-06 650,615 
			 2006-07 522,004 
			 2007-08 670,057 
			 2008-09 696,323

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by his Department in each of the last three years.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) currently has one contract let centrally that includes a provision for bonuses. DFID's contract for security guarding and reception services with ISS Pegasus includes a provision for team based performance incentives for their 13 staff. £500 has been paid to each staff member in each of the last two years.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Michael Foster: No bonuses or incentives have been paid to such consultants or contractors over the last three years.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09; what proportion of the total work force they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Department for International Development (DFID) senior civil service (SCS) members are eligible for a non-consolidated performance award. Awards are intended to reward delivery of personal business objectives during the reporting year or other short-term personal contributions to wider organisational objectives. In considering SCS members for an award, line managers are asked to take into account:
	performance against agreed priority business objectives or targets
	total delivery record over the year
	relative stretch (ie the challenge of the job compared to that of others)
	response to unforeseen events that affected the performance agreement.
	Awards are funded within existing pay bill controls, have to be re-earned each year against the pre-determined criteria above and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.
	The annual size of the non-consolidated performance pay pot for SCS is based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).
	The following table contains, for the last two financial years: (i) the number of SCS who received an award; (ii) the percentage of all SCS who received an award; (iii) the largest single payment; and (iv) the total value of awards made.
	
		
			   Financial year( 1) 
			   2008-09  2009-10 
			 Number of SCS who received an award 71 68 
			 Percentage of total SCS who received an award 73.9 70.1 
			 Largest single award (£) 22,700 15,000 
			 Total SCS awards (£) 641,510 634,150 
		
	
	Staff in grades below the SCS (HCS) are eligible for a non-consolidated performance award. Awards are intended to reward both the delivery of personal business objectives during the reporting year and demonstration of DFID's values.
	The following table contains, for the last two financial years: (i) the number of HCS who received an award; (ii) the percentage of all HCS who received an award; (iii) the largest single payment; and (iv) the total value of awards made.
	
		
			   Financial year( 1) 
			   2008-09( 2)  2009-10 
			 Number of HCS who received an award 0 1,312 
			 Percentage of total HCS who received an award 0 85.0 
			 Largest single award (£) 0 750 
			 Total HCS awards (£) 0 742,515 
			 (1 )Payments made are for the financial year indicated but relate to performance achieved in the previous reporting year. (2) DFID's reward arrangements did not allow for the payment of any performance related awards in the 2008-09 financial year to staff below the senior civil service.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) average and  (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment was in cash terms for a senior civil servant in his Department in each of the last five years.

Douglas Alexander: Department for International Development (DFID) senior civil service (SCS) members are eligible for a non-consolidated performance award. Awards are intended to reward delivery of personal business objectives during the reporting year or other short-term personal contributions to wider organisational objectives. In considering SCS members for an award, line managers are asked to take into account:
	performance against agreed priority business objectives or targets;
	total delivery record over the year
	relative stretch (ie the challenge of the job compared to that of others)
	response to unforeseen events that affected the performance agreement
	Awards are funded within existing pay bill controls, have to be re-earned each year against the pre-determined criteria above and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.
	The annual size of the non-consolidated performance pay pot is based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).
	The table shows the average (median) award and the highest single award in each of the last five financial years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year( 1)  Average (median) award  Highest single award 
			 2005-06 3,750 5,500 
			 2006-07 4,500 8,000 
			 2007-08 5,750 12,500 
			 2008-09 6,350 22,700 
			 2009-10 7,357 15,000 
			 (1) Payments made are for the financial year indicated but relate to performance achieved in the previous reporting year.

Developing Countries: Secondary Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the likely effects on the economies of his Department's partner countries of their achievement of equal access for girls to secondary education.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) produced an analysis of the role of skills in economic growth in 2008. This drew attention to the gender differences in the complex relationship between levels of education and skills and economic growth. More evidence at a country level is needed in this area, but this initial work suggested that the rates of return for higher levels of female education were particularly significant to economic growth. The World Bank found that every 1 per cent. increase in the level of women's education generates an additional 3 per cent. in economic growth. Importantly, failure to achieve gender parity at post-primary levels could be a bottle neck in the growth of the economies of our partner countries.
	DFID currently funds a five-year research programme co-ordinated by the University of Cambridge worth £2.5 million which is currently undertaking analysis of the different rates of return on various levels of education which includes looking at gender differences.

Developing Countries: Secondary Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to meet the target of ensuring that girls have equal access to secondary education in all his Department's partner countries by 2015.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) for universal primary education and gender parity by 2015. DFID is spending at least £8.5 billion between 2006 and 2015 in support of education in developing countries. Through this long-term commitment we are supporting poor countries to invest in quality basic education, including lower secondary, to ensure that all girls and boys attain the fundamental skills they need to participate in social and economic life.
	For example, DFID is currently helping the Government of India to prepare its plans for expanding enrolments at secondary education from 53 per cent. to 70 per cent. over the next three years. The majority of these gains in enrolment will be girls. A raft of interventions are proposed for achieving this, including girls' scholarships and bursaries, free uniforms, textbooks and bicycles for girls as well as free hostels and residential schools for the poorest girls. Attention to equity, particularly in terms of eliminating gender disparities is now a key part of DFID policy dialogue on and support for the development of secondary education in India.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has made a recent assessment of the level of integration between the HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights aspects of programmes funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria to which his Department contributes.

Michael Foster: The Global Fund has recently been subject to a rigorous five year independent evaluation including a study on health impact. The Department for International Development has engaged with this evaluation exercise and has taken note of its assessment of the level of integration between the HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights aspects of programmes funded by the Global Fund.
	The evaluation contained a review of the HIV/AIDS portfolio including access to HIV testing, counselling, prevention of mother-child transmission (PMTCT), and preventative measures (condom distribution and education materials). A key recommendation is to strengthen prevention programmes. The study can be accessed on:
	www.theglobalfund.org

Landmines

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of mine clearing contracts let by his Department have been granted to  (a) The Halo Trust and  (b) the Mines Advisory Group in the last two years; and in which locations.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) publishes details of all contracts let on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Working-with-DFID/Procurement/Contracts-let/

Remittances

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries in receipt of development aid from his Department have experienced a reduction in the  (a) number and  (b) monetary value of migrant remittances in the last three years; and what steps his Department takes to establish the effects of such remittances on (i) the economy of the recipient country and (ii) the pattern of his Department's distribution of development aid.

Gareth Thomas: Based on the most recent World Bank data for the period 2006-08, no countries receiving developmental aid from the Department for International Development (DFID) have experienced a reduction in the number or monetary value of migrant remittances in the last three years. We will continue to monitor this as new data become available.
	DFID Country Offices monitor remittance flows as part of their routine macroeconomic surveillance. Decisions on where UK bilateral aid is spent are initially guided by three principles: levels of Gross National Income (GNI) per person; population size; and confidence on whether the aid resources will be used effectively. As remittances are part of the GNI calculation, they are captured in decisions about the allocation of DFID's aid.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the likely effectiveness of his Department's proposed activities in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) will provide £60 million in development aid to support Zimbabwe this financial year which will be used to;
	fight HIV by delivering Anti-Retroviral Treatment to 58,000 people
	improve access to clean water and sanitation for over 2 million people
	establish 5,000 community health groups to help rural populations prepare for and respond to future disease epidemics
	provide essential medicines to approximately 1,300 primary care clinics and rural hospitals
	provide 10,000 urban poor and vulnerable households with 350 metric tonnes of food every month and 2,000 rural and urban poor households with cash transfers every month
	provide textbooks to 5,300 primary schools
	All our assistance is provided through trusted partners, including the United Nations and non-governmental organisations. We do not pass funds directly to the Government of Zimbabwe or through government financial systems, (including through the Reserve Bank).

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Business: EU Grants and Loans

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether  (a) the Secretary of State,  (b) he and other Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials of his Department (i) corresponded with, (ii) telephoned and  (c) met officials of EU institutions between April 2008 and April 2009 regarding proposals to regulate the European alternative investment fund management industry.

Ian Lucas: The proposal for a directive on alternative investment fund managers is the policy responsibility of the Treasury. The Government are fully engaged in negotiations with the European Union institutions on this and other key issues.

Christmas

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Christmas parties his Department plans to host in 2009; what has been budgeted for each such reception; what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables,  (h) fruit and  (i) alcohol to be served at each such function which is produced in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: This Department is not planning to host any Christmas parties in 2009.
	Internal Christmas parties for officials within the Department will be funded by the staff themselves.

Company Liquidations

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many company liquidations there were in each  (a) constituency and  (b) region in (i) the fourth quarter of 2008 and (ii) each quarter since.

Ian Lucas: Official statistics covering corporate insolvencies are not currently available at sub-national level within England and Wales.

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what family-friendly working policies his Department and its predecessors have implemented in each of the last 10 years.

Patrick McFadden: The information is as follows:
	 1999
	Parental leave: New right introduced. Parents with one year's continuous service entitled to 13 weeks' unpaid leave up to the child's fifth birthday for children born or placed for adoption on or after 15 December 1999.
	Time off for dependants: all employees entitled to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off work to deal with certain emergencies involving a dependant.
	 2000
	Maternity leave: Maternity leave extended so that all employed women became entitled to 18 weeks' ordinary maternity leave. Women with one year's service entitled to additional maternity leave up to 29 weeks after baby's birth. Benefited women whose babies were due on or after 30 April 2000.
	Maternity pay: Maternity allowance extended to women earning £30 per week.
	 2001
	Parental leave: right extended to parents of all children under five on 15 December 1999; period of parental leave extended to 18 weeks for parents of disabled children.
	 2003
	Maternity leave: ordinary maternity leave extended to 26 weeks. Additional maternity leave extended to 26 weeks following on from ordinary maternity leave. Qualifying service for additional maternity leave reduced to 26 weeks.
	Maternity pay: Statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance extended to 26 weeks.
	Paternity leave: fathers/partners of pregnant women entitled to two weeks leave with statutory paternity pay at the same rate as statutory maternity pay.
	Adoption leave: adopters entitled to 52 weeks' leave with statutory adoption pay at the same rate as statutory maternity pay.
	Right to request flexible working: parents with caring responsibilities for children under six (or 18, if disabled) entitled to request flexible working pattern from employers.
	 2006
	Maternity leave: Qualifying service for additional maternity leave removed.
	Pay: Payment period of statutory maternity pay, statutory adoption pay and maternity allowance extended to 39 weeks.
	Encouraging communication: women and employers can make reasonable contact during maternity leave; keeping in touch days introduced so women and employers can agree that women will work up to 10 day during maternity leave without losing any pay or ending her leave.
	Guidance: Pregnancy and Work leaflet set out key information for women and employers; online tools help women and employers understand rights/responsibilities.
	Support for employers: notice period for women changing plans for return from maternity leave extended from four to eight weeks; administration of SMP, SAP and SPP simplified.
	 2007
	Right to request flexible working: extended to carers of certain adults from April 2007.
	 2008
	Contractual benefits during maternity leave: entitlement to receive contractual benefits extended so that mothers entitled to non-paid rights or other work-related benefits throughout the 26 weeks of additional maternity leave.
	 2009
	Right to request flexible working: extended to those with parental responsibility of children aged 16 and under.

Departmental Food

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of  (a) lamb,  (b) beef,  (c) chicken,  (d) pork,  (e) turkey,  (f) other meats,  (g) vegetables and  (h) fruit procured by his Department that was produced in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: A second report on the proportion of domestically produced food used by Government Departments and also supplied to hospitals and prisons under contracts negotiated by NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service was published in November 2008, covering the year from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This report and the first one covering the previous year can be found at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/policy/publicsectorfood/awareness.htm
	The report gives details of the proportion of individual meat, fruit and vegetable categories purchased.

Departmental Manpower

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) speechwriters,  (b) press officers and  (c) secretaries are assigned to work for each other Minister in his Department.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has one speechwriter, and a Strategic Adviser who also works on speeches. The remaining nine Ministers are assisted by four speechwriters.
	One press officer is specifically assigned to work for the Secretary of State. Other press officers look after policy areas which are within ministerial portfolio areas but are not assigned to individual Ministers. The Secretary of State has a Principal Private Secretary, five Private Secretaries and two Diary Secretaries. Other Ministers each have a Private Secretary, a Diary Secretary (based in BIS or in the other Government Department in which the Minister jointly works) and one or more Assistant Private Secretaries depending on their portfolios.

Departmental Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing official cars for the use of  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Gillingham, (Paul Clark) on 16 July,  Official Report, column 80WS.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of staff in his Department received bonus payments in 2008-09; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: BIS was formed through a MOG change that occurred in June. The Department was created by merging Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). This means that BIS in its current form did not exist in 2008-09 and therefore did not make any bonus payments as BIS.
	The two Departments that were merged to create BIS spent the following:
	
		
			  Department  N o.  of people that received an Annual Performance bonus in 2008-09  The proportion of people that received an Annual Bonus in 2008-09 (%)  No .  of people that received an In year bonus in 2008-09  The proportion of people that received an In year bonus in 2008-09 (%)  The total amount of money spent by the department on bonuses in 2008-09 (£)  The largest single payment issued by the department in 2008-09 (£) 
			 BERR 1,025 35 1,218 42 2,827,223 16,500 
			 DIUS 216 24 201 22 535,006 20,000 
			  Notes: (1). In year reward schemes include special bonuses and non pay rewards that are awarded for excellent performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of an in year performance bonus may also have received an annual performance award. (2). Annual Performance Awards paid to Highly Successful performers as part of the annual pay award.

Departmental Plants

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on  (a) cut flowers and  (b) pot plants since its creation.

Patrick McFadden: Since its creation in June 2009, this Department's Estates section has spent £60, excluding VAT, on a flower display for its Remembrance Day ceremony at 1 Victoria Street. In addition, £9,780 has been spent on plant displays across seven BIS managed buildings in London, Sheffield and Glasgow in office and reception areas. This spend covers the hire and maintenance of all internal plant displays and exterior maintenance.

Departmental Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what weight of paper his Department has recycled since June 2009.

Patrick McFadden: Between June and 31 October, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills recycled a total weight of 189,740 kgs of paper.

Products: Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any BSI Kitemarked flood resilient products are available to the consumer.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	A list of companies that hold a Kitemark for flood protection products can be found via the BSI website at
	www.kitemark.com
	Some products covered by the Kitemark for flood protection products may be available as consumer items but most are installed by the manufacturer or an approved installer. This ensures quality control of installation and that consumers receive instruction on the deployment and maintenance of the products.
	The National Flood Forum maintains a directory of flood protection products and services called 'Blue Pages'. Companies, if entitled to do so, can apply to be included in the list of those that can display the Kitemark logo. The National Flood Forum does not endorse any products or approve the advertising claims in the listing. It is for the consumer to verify that the Kitemark applies to the particular product they wish to purchase.

Products: Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what tests are undertaken to ensure that flood resilient products are fit for purpose; and what redress to the consumer is available in circumstances in which such a product fails to prevent flooding.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	Products that obtain the Kitemark for flood protection products must meet one of the four parts of the PAS 1188 test specification. The four parts are:
	 PAS 1188-1:2009. Flood protection products. Specification. Part 1: Building aperture products.
	This applies to flood protection products used in the temporary sealing of building apertures and entrances to properties. A building aperture is an opening in the structure of a building which allows access and egress and/or ventilation to the building.
	 PAS 1188-2:2009 Flood protection products. Specification. Part 2: Temporary products.
	A temporary flood protection product is one that is wholly installed during or following warning of a flood event and removed completely when water levels have receded. It is for use away from buildings but may be sealed against structures or buildings at section ends.
	 PAS 1188-3:2009 Flood protection products. Specification. Part 3: Building skirt systems.
	Building skirt systems are a combination of materials and components curtaining a building and used to limit or restrict the flow of water entering the building at or above ground level.
	 PAS 1188-4:2009 Flood protection products. Specification. Part 4: Demountable products.
	A demountable flood protection product is one that is capable of being removed and reinstalled on permanent mountings. It is for use away from buildings and may be sealed against structures or buildings at section ends.
	Some products covered by the Kitemark for flood protection products may be available as consumer items but most are installed by the manufacturer or an approved installer. This ensures quality control of installation and that consumers receive instruction on the deployment and maintenance of the products.
	The level of redress would be set out in the contract between the consumer and the supplier.

Students: Loans

Paul Rowen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students applied for loans through Student Finance England for the academic year 2009-10; how many students were waiting for student loan payments on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company has released figures to show current levels of applications, processing and payment of student support in England for the 2009/10 academic year on its website. I am advised that SLC is still receiving several thousand new applications each week.

JUSTICE

Ashwell Prison

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough of 11 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 262-63W, on Ashwell Prison, when he expects  (a) the police investigation regarding the incident at HM Prison Ashwell in April 2009 and  (b) the strategic review of HM Prison Ashwell to be completed.

Jack Straw: The police investigation into the serious incident at HMP Ashwell is a matter for Leicestershire police. I understand that their investigation is continuing.
	A strategic review of Ashwell is well under way and I will report to the House once further decisions have been taken.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what efficiency savings projects  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies put in place under the Operational Efficiency Programme; on what date each such project was initiated; how much each such project was expected to contribute to departmental savings; how much had been saved through each such project on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) published findings in April 2009 that identified potential savings of around £6 billion a year by 2010-11 and a further £9 billion of savings achievable by 2013-14 from across Government. At Budget 2009, the MOJ agreed an additional £70 million savings in addition to the £1 billion savings agreed at the start of the comprehensive spending review period.
	The MOJ is making good progress implementing active programmes covering all of the OEP areas. These projects typically include the Department's agencies within their scope:
	In August 2009, the MOJ established a single ICT function, bringing together three existing ICT organisations:
	eDelivery Group, covering areas including MOJ HQ, HM Courts Service and the Tribunals Service;
	NOMS agency ICT
	The OCJR Modernising Technology Unit
	The MOJ has agreed an estates strategy to rationalise the estate it inherited on its creation and deliver significant financial, sustainability and effectiveness gains. The outline business case for the Estates Transformation Programme was signed off by the Estates Transformation Board in August 2009.
	A detailed strategy for the MOJ procurement function called Procurement Success has been developed and signed off by the MOJ Corporate Management Board. The Procurement Success programme strategy was approved by the Board on in November 2008.
	An outline business case for a new MOJ Shared Services programme which is designed to achieve the MOJ wide shared service vision for finance and human resources transactional services has also been signed off by the MOJ Corporate Management Board. The original business case was signed off by the MOJ Investment Committee in October and the full business case is scheduled to go before the January MOJ Corporate Management Board.
	While these initiatives build on previous related work, full year savings are planned to be realised from 2010-11 through to 2013-14.
	It is planned that the MOJ contribution to OEP savings by 2013-14 will be announced in the forthcoming pre-Budget report (PBR).

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure his Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since his Department was established; and for what purposes such professional services have been commissioned.

Michael Wills: Expenditure on external legal advice and representation is interpreted as the cost of services provided by counsel and solicitors in private practice. It excludes advice from in house legal advisers or Treasury Solicitors. External lawyers are used mainly where in-house resources are not available to deal with commercial contracts and special projects or where there are novel or complex issues where it is considered that a second opinion is required.
	Expenditure incurred on external legal advice and representation by the Department and its executive agencies, excluding the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), since the Ministry of Justice was established is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2008-09 1,764 
			 2007-08 2,297 
		
	
	The accounting records for NOMS do not separately identify expenditure on external legal services. Identification of external fees would involve examination of numerous locally held records and could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Prisons

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to make the use of body orifice security scanner chairs mandatory for  (a) visitors and  (b) staff members entering a prison in England and Wales.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service has not mandated how body orifice security scanner (BOSS) chairs must be used and currently has no plans to do so. As is the case for many searching technologies and techniques, the decision on how to use the BOSS chairs is for individual governors to make, and will depend on their local circumstances, including their existing local searching strategies. The relevant Prison Service Instruction says:
	'The frequency of searches using the BOSS and policies for its use are for local discretion'
	and makes it clear that this can include using the BOSS chair to search staff and visitors. Searching strategies and levels of searches are based on a number of factors, including local resources and intelligence. The recently published Mobile Phones Good Practice Guide also provides specific advice on tackling the smuggling of mobile phones by staff and visitors.

Drugs: Prisons

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of alcohol being  (a) brought into and  (b) brewed in prison there have been in each prison in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: Finds of alcohol within prisons are treated as a miscellaneous incident and recorded on the Prison Service Incident Reporting System. These incidents are in a format that cannot readily be interrogated electronically. To provide the information requested would involve the manual inspection of more than 100,000 incident records which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	NOMS has in place a strategy to reduce both the supply and the demand for alcohol with a comprehensive range of security measures and searching techniques to detect items of contraband, including alcohol, and prevent smuggling into establishments. It is a criminal offence to convey alcohol into prison and prisoners caught in possession of alcohol within prison will face disciplinary action. Alcohol consumption is a cause of criminality in society and many prisons have programmes in place to assist prisoners to lessen their dependence on alcohol.

Females: Prisoners

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many female prisoners were held  (a) under 30,  (b) under 50,  (c) under 100 and  (d) over 100 miles from their home in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the total number of females held in prisons that were between 0 and 30 miles; 30 to 50 miles; 50 to 100 miles; and over 100 miles from their home area in each of the last five years. Data prior to 2005 are not available in the format requested.
	The data in the table include those who were sentenced and on remand and relate to adults, young offenders and juveniles.
	
		
			   Up to 30 miles  30-50 miles  50-100 miles  Over 100 miles  Total 
			 September 2005 1,750 948 992 688 4,378 
			 September 2006 1,628 960 1,203 809 4,600 
			 September 2007 1,684 753 1,100 852 4,389 
			 September 2008 1,667 819 1,116 815 4,417 
			 May 2009 1,680 858 981 753 4,272 
		
	
	All prisoners are asked for details of their home address on first reception to prison and on discharge from prison. Approximately 60 per cent. of prisoners (both male and female) are shown to have given a recognised address.
	If no address is given, various proxies are used to determine distance from home, including next-of-kin address and committal court address. Figures have been scaled to match the overall female population.

HM Courts Service: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what progress has been made towards developing a bilingual version of the Libra IT system; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much  (a) has been spent and  (b) is expected to be spent on developing a bilingual version of the Libra IT system; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The bilingual version of the Libra IT system was successfully released in all magistrates' courts in Wales on 13 September 2009, as planned.
	The cost of developing the Libra bilingual solution was approximately £4 million, in line with the estimate provided to the hon. Member for Cardiff Central (Jenny Willott) in January 2009. This figure represents costs for application development, it does not include support costs, which are ongoing for the life of the application.
	No further development costs will be incurred for the bilingual solution. Support costs for the solution are included in the overall support costs for the Libra application.

HMP Liverpool

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on the operation of HMP Liverpool of the prison officers strike at that prison on 17 and 18 November 2009.

Jack Straw: The industrial action at HMP Liverpool on 17 and 18 November led to reduced staffing levels at the prison, with a resulting adverse impact on the prison regime. This included the cancellation of visits for prisoners, no prisoners being sent to court directly from HMP Liverpool, only very limited regime activities operating, and the deployment of police to patrol the perimeter and picket line. The industrial action was unjustified, and unlawful, contrary to the provisions of s.127 of the Criminal Justice and part 2 order Act 1994, as amended.

Legal Aid: Asylum

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the average cost of legal aid in respect of an asylum case.

Bridget Prentice: Legal aid in asylum matters covers a variety of work including initial advice and legal representation at a tribunal and in judicial review.
	The following table shows the average cost of an asylum case where the bill was paid during the year 2008-09.
	
		
			   Average cost (£) 
			 Initial advice only 610 
			 Advice and representation at a tribunal 1,670 
		
	
	The average cost of legal aid for judicial reviews in immigration and asylum matters during 2008-09 was £2,480. (The cost for asylum judicial reviews cannot be disaggregated from the figures for both immigration and asylum.)

Mentally Ill: Health Services

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total construction cost was of the three most recently completed  (a) low,  (b) medium and  (c) high security mental health units in England and Wales, excluding the cost of the land purchased; how many beds were provided by each such unit; and on what date construction commenced in each case.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the three most recent mental health capital investment schemes approved by the Department is given in the following table. The further details requested can only be obtained from the business cases which would incur disproportionate cost. Details of capital investment schemes below the Department's delegated limit for approval are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Three most recent capital investment schemes approved by the Department 
			  Name  Capital cost (£ million)  Build start  Open date  
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust 36 9 October 2007 10 June 2009 Reprovision of mental health services 
			  
			 South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 32 5 October 2007 7 May 2009 Medium and low security mental health unit on Runwell hospital site 
			  
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 19 23 December 2004 7 April 2008 Elderly and mental health units

Offenders: Mentally Ill

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the relative likelihood of a prisoner identified as having mental health problems on entry to prison reoffending on release, compared with a prisoner who was not originally assessed as mentally ill.

Claire Ward: There is no estimate at present. However, we are carrying out a longitudinal study of prisoners, Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR). This is designed to enhance our knowledge of the extent to which various factors relating to prisoners, including mental health problems, are linked with reoffending.
	An initial report on SPCR, focusing simply on prisoner characteristics, including mental health, has been published by the Ministry of Justice, in 2008. This carries the title: The Problems and Needs of Newly Sentenced Prisoners: Results from a National Survey. Ministry of Justice Research Series 16/08 (2008).
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/research-2008.htm

Prison Accommodation

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many adult prisoners who were sentenced to custody in an adult prison in each year since 1997 had already served sentences for previous convictions in  (a) a secure training centre and  (b) a young offender institution.

Maria Eagle: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Adult offenders receiving custodial sentences for indictable offence by the number of previous custodial sentences, 2000-07 
			   Percentage and number of offenders 
			  Number of previous custodial sentences  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 0 34 34 32 30 31 32 33 34 
			 1 14 14 13 13 12 12 12 12 
			 2 10 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 
			 3+ 41 42 45 48 47 48 47 46 
			 All adult offenders (100%) 67,189 67,776 72,965 73,017 74,037 71,049 69,709 69,739 
		
	
	This table has been taken from data published in Chapter 6 of Sentencing Statistics 2007, available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	The table shows the breakdown of how many previous custodial sentences adult offenders had received and covers all types of previous custodial sentences. Information about where the previous custodial sentences were served is not held in the data set used to produce the published tables. It is therefore not possible to identify how many previous custodial sentences had been served at secure training centres or young offender institutions.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Prison Performance Tables

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department produces prison performance tables with more precise rankings, data and detail than the Prison Quarterly Ratings published on his Departmental website.

Maria Eagle: Formerly prisons were ranked on their performance in the prisons weighted scorecard. However, this formed only one element of the final ratings for prisons. A new prison rating system was introduced for 2009-10, but the version used to produce the ratings for Quarter 1 did not lend itself to the production of a performance table. The system has been refined and will produce for internal use by NOMS prison rankings as part of the package when Quarter 2 ratings are published.
	The new system produces initial quarterly assessments based on available data. Additional factors such as escapes and recent inspection results are then taken into account in the final ratings by an independent external moderation panel which includes a non-executive representative and is chaired by the Director of Criminal Justice Group in the Department. For this reason the final quarterly ratings published by the Department may differ from the data-driven rankings produced by NOMS.

Prison Service Order

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to amend Prison Service Order 0900.

Maria Eagle: Prison Service Order 0900 (PSO 0900) sets out policy and guidance on the security categorisation and allocation of prisoners. This ensures that all prisoners are placed in a security category consistent with managing their risks in terms of security and control and that the public is properly protected.
	Work to update PSO 0900 is currently under way with a view to publication next year. Revisions will consolidate into one document changes made to categorisation policy over the last few years, and will restructure the document so that the guidance contained within it is more readily accessible to operational users.

Prisoners Release: Drugs

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who are suffering from substance misuse problems who have been released from prison in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following table sets out the number of prisoners assessed at either pre-release or start of licence as having an offending-related risk factor relating to 'drug misuse'. The assessment of offending-related risk factors was made through the Offender Assessment System (OASys) which is only applied to young adult prisoners and to adult prisoners serving sentences of more than 12 months. Figures are presented for the past four years (2005-08) as the electronic OASys system was still being implemented in 2004. The number of assessments used to produce the figures increased from 28,064 in 2005 to 33,471 in 2008. The data are drawn from administrative IT systems and are subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale assessment and recording system.
	
		
			Section score indicates a 'drug misuse' problem 
			   Number of assessments  Number  Percentage 
			 2005 28,064 10,478 37.3 
			 2006 30,172 11,704 38.8 
			 2007 32,039 11,575 36.1 
			 2008 33,471 11,857 35.4

Prisoners Release: Mentally Ill

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of prisoners who are suffering from serious mental health problems who have been released from prison in each of the last five years.

Claire Ward: Information is not available in the form requested. Where a prisoner is suffering from a mental disorder which requires treatment in hospital, he/she can be transferred to hospital by the Secretary of State. Numbers of transfers of sentenced prisoners in England and Wales over the last five years for which published information is available were 296 (in 2003), 346 (in 2004), 356 (in 2005), 421 (in 2006) and 394 (in 2007). Prisoners have the same rights to treatment in prison for mental disorder, under NHS In-Reach provision, as they would have in the community. There is however no direct correlation between serious mental health problems and the need to be treated in a hospital.

Prisoners Transfers: Libya

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoner transfer applications his Department has received in respect of Libyan prisoners in the UK since 17 November 2008.

Maria Eagle: One prisoner detained in England and Wales has applied for transfer to Libya under the terms of the prisoner transfer agreement between the United Kingdom and Libya. His application is under consideration.
	The transfer of prisoners to and from Scotland is a matter for Scottish Ministers. The transfer of prisoners to and from Northern Ireland is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Prisons

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to encourage the more effective management of visitors, including families and children;
	(2)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to improve the safety of  (a) prison officers and  (b) prisoners;
	(3)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to improve staff visibility inside prisons;
	(4)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to improve prison security;
	(5)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to reduce the incidence of violence;
	(6)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to discourage the hiding of contraband;
	(7)  if he will publish the design principles and specifications used for new-build prisons;
	(8)  what provisions have been made within the design specifications for new-build prisons to reduce the incidence of prisoner suicide.

Maria Eagle: New prisons are designed, constructed and managed to promote rehabilitation and education with a view to minimising the likelihood of re-offending, prevent escapes and operated in a way which would ensure that the prison population would, within each perimeter, be held in a safe, secure environment and behave in a controlled and orderly manner.
	In August 2009, NOMS ran a series of design workshops to absorb recent innovations to enhance the management, safety and security of staff, visitors and inmates. In so doing it is acknowledged that each site will differ in how the land, planning permissions and any other existing buildings will support these measures as a design level.
	Output specifications have been used to support our desired outcomes of management, safety, security and rehabilitation. The new prisons design principle is to encourage the market to innovate in order to improve the operational outcomes. Publishing prescriptive design specifications may therefore constrain innovation and improvement.

Prisons: Closed Visits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons have closed visits; and whether there are plans to trial closed visits in prisons which operate open visits.

Maria Eagle: The provision of closed visits facilities at each establishment is not centrally recorded. Governors may vary the conditions under which social visits take place or introduce measures to restrict the level of contact between the prisoner and their visitor during the course of the visit. Social visits will generally take place in an open environment and any decision to impose restrictions on contact must be made on an individual basis in relation to a particular prisoner or visitor and be proportionate to risk. This proportionality test is a requirement under legislation and there are no plans to change this.

Reoffenders

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serious further offences were committed by offenders under level 1 multi-agency public protection arrangements in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: Management information on the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) is published in local area MAPPA annual reports. The MAPPA Annual Reports have included in each of the last five years the number of offenders managed at MAPPA levels 2 and 3 who have been charged with serious further offences. Areas have not so far been asked to report on charges of serious offending against MAPPA level 1 offenders, so the data requested is unavailable.
	The purpose of the MAPPA annual reports is to show what multi-agency intervention and resources bring to local public protection arrangements. The focus of the information in the annual reports, therefore, has been upon the offenders managed at level 2 and 3 rather than at level 1, where offenders are managed through ordinary agency management.
	However, in order to provide data on the whole offender population eligible for multi-agency management and resources, since April 2009 all areas have been required to record instances of offenders managed at level 1 of MAPPA who are charged with serious further offences (as well as those managed at levels 2 and 3), with a view to inclusion in next year's annual reports.

Secure Accommodation: Young Offender Institutions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 4 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 1025-6W, on secure accommodation: young offender institutions, for what reasons value added tax is not included within the figures.

Maria Eagle: VAT is payable only on the places commissioned by the youth justice board in secure training centres and private sector young offender institutions. VAT is not payable on the places in secure children's homes or public sector young offender institutions. Therefore, VAT is excluded from these figures in order to provide a valid comparison between sectors.

Young Offenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons some youth offending teams represent more than one local authority.

Maria Eagle: Local authorities are responsible for the formation of youth offending teams and, on occasion, neighbouring local authorities will decide to provide a joint service across their areas. This is in accordance with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Section 39(2).

Youth Custody

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children aged between  (a) 10 and 14 and  (b) 15 and 17 years were in custody on (i) the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) the equivalent date in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following tables show how many children and young people aged between  (a) 10 and 14 and  (b) 15 and 17 years were in custody on (i) 2 October 2009, and (ii) 2 October in each of the last five years.
	The data have been provided by the Youth Justice Board and are drawn from administrative computer systems. As with any large scale recording system, the data are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  (i) Young people in custody by age group as of 2 October 2009 
			   Number 
			 (a) 10 to 14 137 
			 (b) 15 to 17 2,419 
			 Total 2,556 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Young people in custody by age group 
			   As of  2 October each year 
			  Age group  2008  2007  2006  2005  2004 
			 (a) 10 to 14 159 186 221 226 206 
			 (b) 15 to 17 2,755 2,797 2,832 2,779 2,576 
			 Total 2,914 2,983 3,053 3,005 2,782